This Working Life: Employers should prepare now for new sick pay rules

Until now, Irish employers have not been obliged to pay employees during sick leave, but new legislation changes that

Under the new regime, employees will be entitled to three days’ paid sick leave this year. This is due to then go up to five next year, seven in 2024 and ten days in 2025. Picture: Getty/iStockphoto

New statutory sick pay rules are due to come into force imminently in Ireland. This is an innovation for this country, as up until now, there was no obligation to pay employees during periods of sick leave, something which made Ireland an outlier in Europe.

Irish employment contracts may provide for a (usually limited) period of sick pay, but this has always been very much at the discretion of individual employers. If an employer chose ...