Background to Wages Legislation The Truck Acts 1831 to 1896 required payment of most manual workers in cash, or more precisely, the “current coin of the realm”. The initial purpose of the legislation was to limit abuses whereby workers were paid in tokens, redeemable at the employer’s shop. The legislation was modernised in 1979, and provided incentives for progression from […]
Minimum Wage There is a national minimum wage. The hourly rate can be adjusted by the Government by order. It is currently €11.30 per hour (2023). All employees over 18 years are entitled to be paid no less than the minimum wage. Employees under 18 years must be paid at least 70% of the minimum wage. Reduced rates may be […]
Organisation of Working Time The law on the organisation of working time seeks to ensure that employees do not work excessive hours. It is based to a considerable extent, on health, safety and welfare at work considerations. The health and safety considerations affect the employer, the employee, fellow employees and the general public. The Irish legislation is based on the […]
Zero Hour Contracts A zero-hour contract is one where the employee is expected to be available for a certain number of hours or to be available when required, where there is no guarantee that there will be any paid work available. The contracts require that the employee is to be available when required by the employer or that he is […]
General Exceptions The working time legislation excludes certain categories of workers. It does not apply to members of the Garda Siochana and the Defence Forces. Certain parts of the legislation, in particular, those dealing with minimum rest periods, night working, Sunday work and zero hour working practices, do not apply to certain categories of persons including the following persons; those […]
Background to Holiday Legislation EU Directives require that Member States take measures in order to ensure that every worker is entitled to paid leave of at least four weeks per year. The terms of the entitlement to leave, are to be provided by national legislation and/or practice. States may introduce laws which provide more favourable protections for the health, safety […]
Protection of Young Persons (Employment) Act, 1996 Interpretation. 1.—(1) In this Act— “agreement” means a collective agreement, an employment regulation order or a registered employment agreement; “break” means the interval during which a child or young person may not be permitted under this Act to work; F1[“child” means a person who has not reached the age of 16 […]
Purpose of the Act The purpose of the Payment of Wages (Amendment) (Tips and Gratuities) Act 2022 is provide clarity on the meaning of tips, gratuities and mandatory service charges; place tips and gratuities, but not mandatory service charges, outside the scope of a person’s contractual wages; oblige employers to display prominently their policy on the distribution of tips; oblige […]
Prohibition and Scope So-called Zero hours contracts are prohibited unless they provide for work done in emergency circumstances they provide cover for short-term absences or the work is, of its nature, genuinely casual. A zero-hours contract is one which requires the employee to make himself or herself available to an employer in a week for a certain number of hours […]
Section 20(2) of the Workplace Relations Act, 2015 provides, at the request of the Minister, for the preparation of draft codes of practice by the WRC for submission to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Codes of Practice are written guidelines, agreed in a consultative process, setting out guidance and best practice for employers and employees with respect […]