Workers can claim five days of paid sick leave next year, Government confirms

Workers’ entitlement to paid sick leave will rise to five days a year in January, the Government has confirmed. At present, employees are permitted to take three paid days for illness.

Paid sick leave measures were introduced at the start of this year on a phased basis so that employers had time to adapt to the change. The Government plans on raising the number of days over the four years to 2026, at which time it is intended that the entitlement will be 10 days.

“We do not want workers to feel that they must attend work when they are sick due to financial fears,” Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Neale Richmond said. “Paid sick leave is an important workers’ right which provides protection to employees who are genuinely unable to work due to ill health or injury.”

He added that the pre-planned increase in sick leave would be of particular benefit to lower-paid workers who can least afford to miss work even when sick.

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Under the scheme, workers are entitled to 70 per cent of their gross earnings up to €110 a day. If an employee has exhausted the annual allowance of paid sick leave, they move on to illness benefit, if eligible. Paid sick leave is available to any worker who has completed 13 weeks with a particular employer.

Where someone works for multiple employers, they are entitled to five days from each employer, provided they meet the qualifying criteria. Workers need a valid medical certificate form a registered doctor to secure the benefit.

The sick leave is ring-fenced for each year with no latitude to carry over unused sick leave to a subsequent year.