Employment Law in Ireland

Updated on Tuesday 21st September 2021

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Employment laws differ from a country to another, as they are the result of certain social policies responding to the needs of the society. Irish employment law is regulated in accordance with European Union Directives.

If you are an entrepreneur interested in setting up a company in Ireland, you should know the legislation regarding employment and the matters related to it, such as working hours, wages, types of contracts signed with the employees and other various employment related aspects.

Employment Contract in Ireland

An employee must have a contract, but the Irish employment law states that in the first two months the employer is not obliged to issue an employment contract. However, in this period of time, the company must release a written statement containing the terms of employment.

There are two main types of employment contracts:

open-ended contracts, in which the duration of work continues until one of the two parties involved wants to close it;
fixed- term contracts, which are due to a specified date.

Disciplinary procedures followed by the Irish employees are given to them in a written form, within 28 days from signing the contract. Irish law offers to employers the possibility to add provisions in the contract stating that, for a specified time after the termination of the contract, the employee can’t work in some industries or with certain clients.

Our Irish law firm can provide clients with information about the terms of the employment contract in Ireland. Those who have relocated to the country for employment purposes and now seek other legal solutions can reach out to us for different matters, such as assistance for divorce in Ireland.

Employment conditions in Ireland

Irish law states, under the Organisation of Working Time Act (1997), that the maximum working week is of 48 hours, but this rule doesn’t apply to all business sectors. You can find out more on the subject from our Irish lawyers specialized in employment law.

The probationary period for an employee can last for twelve months and the minimum wage levels per hour vary between EUR 6.06 and EUR 8.65. Our attorneys in Ireland can present our clients the legal acts and agreements that regulate the working environment in this country.

The termination of a contract in Ireland can happen in the following situations:

the employer can terminate a contract with or without notice;
the contract can be ceased by the employee as a result of an unreasonable behavior on the employer’s behalf;
the contract has a specified ending date.

A team of payroll accountants in Ireland will provide the services needed in this situation, as well as for the overall company bookkeeping.

Please contact our Irish law firm for further assistance on labor law in Ireland and employment procedures that should be followed by an employer. We can also assist individual clients with a number of other matters, such as divorce in Ireland.