Public Holidays and Benefits in Ireland.
Ireland offers a structured framework for annual leave as well public holidays to ensure that employees in the country are well-rested and also receive compensation. Employees in Ireland are entitled to four weeks of paid annual leave at minimum, and receive specific benefits on public holidays.
List of Public Holidays
|
Date |
Holiday Name |
|
1 January |
New Years Day |
|
3 February |
Imbolc |
|
17 March |
St. Patrick’s Day |
|
21 April |
Easter Monday |
|
5 May |
Early May Bank Holiday |
|
2 June |
June Bank Holiday |
|
4 August |
August Bank Holiday |
|
27 October |
October Bank Holiday |
|
25 December |
Christmas Day |
|
26 December |
St. Stephen’s Day |
Will I get Benefits and Pay on Public Holidays?
A public holiday qualifies as a paid rest day. If a public holiday falls upon a working day, employees receive their normal daily pay. In the case of a non-working day, workers are entitled to receive one-fifth of their weekly pay.
In respect of a public holiday, an employee has the following four options (i) a paid day off on that day; (ii) a paid day off within one month of that day; (iii) an additional day of annual leave; and (iv) an additional day’s pay. If the employee wishes to choose a specific alternative, they must submit a request a minimum of three weeks prior to the holiday. If the employer fails to respond, the employee is likely to receive a paid day off.
Do Public Holidays in Ireland apply to all employees?
Full-time employees automatically receive the public holiday benefits while part-time employees must have a minimum of forty hours in the preceding five weeks to the holiday in order to qualify for the benefits.
Is Annual Leave the same as taking a public holiday in Ireland?
No, it is different. Under the Organization of Working Time Act, there are three approaches for employees to understand the duration of their annual leave benefits.
- To gain a full four weeks of paid leave an employee must have worked 1365 hours.
- If employers work 117 hours a month, they are entitled to one-third of their working hours.
- 8% of the total hours worked in the leave year.
Employees are allowed to choose the method that benefits them the most. Employees also have weekly rest days. Learn more about them here.
Conclusion
Public holidays and annual leave are rights that form part of the labour laws of Ireland. It is necessary for both employees and employers to make sure they are aware of these laws, in terms of compliance.