The Sick Leave Act is effective from the 1st of January 2023 and legislates for a statutory sick pay scheme for all Employees in Ireland, phased in over a four-year period.
To be entitled to paid sick leave under the new scheme, an Employee must be working for the Employer for at least 13 continuous weeks. An Employee will also need to be certified by a GP as unfit to work.
Eligible Employees are entitled to paid sick leave for up to 3 days per year in year 1 – 2023. This is planned to increase to 5 days in year 2 of the phased rollout, 7 days in year 3 and 10 days in year 4. Employers must pay 70% of an Employee’s gross normal earnings (up to a maximum of €110 per day).