Here is a quick run down of what you are entitled to with regards to holiday pay in Ireland (officially known as annual leave). Hopefully this guide will remove some of the myths regarding holiday pay. This information has been brought to you in association with citizensinformation.ie.
Calculating Holiday Pay
There are three different ways of calculating your annual leave entitlement:
- Based on the employee’s working hours during what is called the leave year, which runs from April to March. An employee who has worked at least 1,365 hours in the leave year (that is, an average working week of 26.25 hours) is entitled to the maximum of four weeks’ annual leave. Many employers use the calendar year (January-December) instead of the official leave year to calculate entitlement
- By allowing 1/3 of a working week for each calendar month in which the employee has worked at least 117 hours
- 8% of the hours worked in the leave year, subject to a maximum of 4 weeks
Notes
- An employee may use whichever of these methods gives the greater entitlement.
- An employee who has worked for at least 8 months is entitled to an unbroken period of 2 weeks’ annual leave.
Taking annual leave Rules
It is for your employer to decide when annual leave may be taken, but this is subject to a number of conditions. Your employer must take into account your family responsibilities, opportunities for rest and recreation that are available to you and to consult with you (or your union) at least one month before the leave is to be taken. In addition, annual leave should be taken within the appropriate leave year or with your consent, within six months of the relevant leave year. Further holding over (also known as carrying-over) of annual leave at your wish is a matter for agreement between you and your employer. So if you don’t take it you could loose out entirely.
somebody please help me im so confused
hi emer, what exactly are you confused about ?
im a part time employee.i work a 25 hour week .i started in the middle of august.am i entitled to any holiday pay for xmas
Barry : If you have worked at least 40 hours in total in the five weeks preceding the public holiday (see below for the list of them) you are entitled to paid leave on the day or one of the following alternatives:
* A paid day off within a month of the public holiday
* An additional day of annual leave
* An additional day’s pay
* The nearest church holiday to the public holiday as a paid day off
There are 9 public holidays in Ireland each year. Public holidays in Ireland :
* New Year’s Day (1 January)
* St. Patrick’s Day (17 March)
* Easter Monday
* First Monday in May, June, August
* Last Monday in October
* Christmas Day (25 December)
* St. Stephen’s Day (26 December)
I am a part time worker working 21 hours a week and have not taken all my holidays, am I entitled to be paid for a couple of holidays if my employer agrees or is this illegal?
Hi Georgina,
You could be entitled to holidays up to 8% of the hours worked this year, up to a maximum of 4 weeks.
I work seven days a week. Is my maximum holiday entitlement still four weeks? Thanks Marie anne
I am a student who worked for a period of time full time hours and then when I started back in college; irregular hours (less than 20 per week, sometimes more). I did not have to pay tax as my credits covered me. However, am I entitled to holiday pay since I left this job. Is it simply 8% of all the hours I did, up to a maximum of 4 weeks?
Hello,
I work 3 nights and 1 day for 12 hours.Employer says I am entitled to 160 hours annual leave,not to 4 weeks annual leave.So,if I take 4 days off,he pays me for 48 hours.It means I can take just 13,3 working days annual leave.Is employer right? Thank you.
hi i worked full time in the summer now i work 1 day a week(8 hours) i calculated that ive worked over 500 hours.i got 20 hours holiday pay. i thought i shud have got at least 40. is this right? thanks
Hi. Does anyone know what action, if any, can be taken if an employer refuses to pay for holidays and overtime worked? Even if they have agreed that the money is due? Thanks.
i work approx 22 hrs a wk have never gotten hol pay am there 2 yrs now am i entilted to it ??
hie i just want to find out can holiday pay be taxed
Hi I was just wondering if the calculation and entitlement of annual leave(holiday pay) applys to part time employees.
Are all employees entitled to leave on the 14th March this year - ‘08, since St. Patrick’s Day and Easter Sunday falls in the same week
Just started a new job on 4th of february 2008.I’m working 25 hours per week.I,d like to know when can i have a holiday this year and for how long? thanks corina
if im on a scheduled day off work, by rota. and my day off is a public holiday, do i still get time in lieu for it or pay???
Hello! I have been working for 10 hours per week for about 10 month. Now i have left my job and my ex-employer informs me that i am not entitled for any holiday days to be paid. Is he right? Thank you!
Dmitri : count the total number of hours you worked , look in your paychecks (i.e. 400), and you should be entitled to 8% of that, so in this case it would be 32 hours, or 4 days pay.
Thank you very much!
Another short question - if employer still refuses to repay my holidays, where should i be looking for help then?
i got paid 8% of my hours between august till november .since novwmber i have not recieved holiday pay and i ‘ve left three weeks ago and now they are telling me i’m not entitled to holiday pay and that they overpaid me already back in november .but i was working full time hours between august and november. am i entitled to anymore holiday pay.
I recently left a job after my probation period of 3 months, am I entitled to holiday pay?
I have been working for 3 months and two days, working around 100+ hrs a month, im leaving my job, was wondering was i entitled to holiday pay?
Dear Paul, I have two part time jobs. One job gives me my holiday pay every month in my payslip without asking. I work 4 hours a week with my other part time job. I’ve worked a total of 96.5 hours from October 07-May 08. Am I entitled to ask for Holiday Pay?
Hi, I’ve been working about 22 hrs a week from last september untill now, and I worked out that 8% of this is E633. Seeing as I’ve never taken holidays, am I entitled to this amount when I leave my job next week? Thanks a million.
I started a job at the start of May, I am here until the end of November as I am covering for someone on maturnitu leave and I am working 31.5 hours per week. My employer has told me I am not entitled to any holidays, is this correct?
Hi, i am working summer job for 8 weeks, am i entitled to holiday pay?
Hi there, I have been working in a sales job full time since dec of 07. It is strongly based on commission. I am wondering if I leave half way through the month but have hit my targets that I have been set to get my commission am I still entitled to it even though I have left only 2 weeks into the month? I am also wondering if I am entitled to holiday pay for my summer months? I have already taken my spring week but as I said I have been working there full time for just over 6 months. Thanks
Hi, I recently left a job, but before I did, I had 4 days holidays. I was only a part time worker for a year, but am I entitled to holiday pay? I didn’t get any.
Hi Paul Savage,
Could you answer some of the queries above. Be much appreciated.
J
James : Sure !
Aisling : yes you should be entitled to these paid days.
Jason / Aisling : everyone is entitled to paid holidays. As for commission, this would depend on how it’s worded in your contract.
Nikki/Paul/Daniel/Derek/Brian : in every job you are entitled to holiday pay.
Ok so I am entitled to these days, I told the employers this, but they said that you have to work a certain number of hours per week, is that true? If not, how do I go about getting my money? I only worked one day per week. Thanks
Hi. I’m working a full time job, 39hours a week. I took one month unpaid holiday this year. When I back, after 6 weeks leter on I took a 2 days holiday. My employer paid me for that days lower rate, and he explained that my holidays, also bank holidays are average of 13 weeks previous wages before 2days I took. Is it correct? Thanks
Heya Paul, Im currently on holidays and am going to be getting holiday pay, but Im a bit confused about what Im entitled to.
I started my holidays this working week (Monday 14th) and it will end on Sunday August 2nd, this is three working weeks. I’ve just recieved my payslip by email for this week, and the amount of holiday pay I’ve gotten is 8% of the hours I’ve worked since January 1st 2008. Is this correct? Or should it be 8% of hours worked between January 07- December 07?
My other question is, Im on holidays for three weeks, am I supposed to recieve holiday pay every week that Im away from work? Like, for this first week of my holiday I’ve recieved 460 euro, is this the full amount of my holiday pay or do I get 460 x 3 totaling 1380 euro for the three weeks? I just want to make sure I know what Im entitled to.
Thanks a million!
hi im just wondering should i be taxed alot of money on holiday pay. i got 2 weeks wages and was taxed alot of money is this right
hi i left my job as an apprentice working 31 hours a week. I only officially started my apprentice in january but have been working there 2 years this month. Am i entitled to holiday pay now i hve left?
Claire : See point 3 : 8% of the hours worked in the leave year, subject to a maximum of 4 weeks
Samantha : holiday pay is like any other wages, and is taxed accordingly.
Julie: your employed can pay your holiday pay whenever they want, as far as I know. Most do it before you go on holidays. Your current employer will give your holiday pay for what you’ve worked at your current job, previous holiday pay should be paid by a previous employer.