Hire in Ireland
Access Ireland's highly skilled, English-speaking workforce — the EU's tech and pharma hub. Vectis handles PAYE, PRSI, the new auto-enrolment pension, Revenue RPN compliance, and full Irish employment law — onboard in 24 hours.
Quick Facts
Irish Employment Law Guide
A practical overview of Irish employment law — from PAYE and PRSI to the new auto-enrolment pension, statutory sick pay, and key protections under the Organisation of Working Time Act.
Employment Contracts
- ✓Written statement of terms required within 5 days of start (core terms) and 1 month (full terms)
- ✓Fixed-term contracts: after 4 years continuous fixed-term service, employee gains right to permanency
- ✓Probation: typically 3–6 months; cannot exceed 12 months total including extensions
- ✓Probation reform (WRC): new 2023 rules limit probation to 6 months (extendable to 12 with justification)
- ✓Employment Equality Acts prohibit discrimination across 9 grounds (gender, age, disability, etc.)
Working Hours & Rest
- ✓Organisation of Working Time Act 1997: maximum 48h/week averaged over 4 months
- ✓Daily rest: 11 consecutive hours between working days
- ✓Weekly rest: 24 consecutive hours per week (plus the daily rest period)
- ✓Minimum 15-minute break after 4.5 hours; 30-minute break after 6 hours
- ✓Night workers limited to 8h average per 24h; entitled to free health assessments
Leave Entitlements
- ✓20 working days (4 weeks) statutory annual leave; or 8% of hours worked, capped at 4 weeks
- ✓10 public holidays per year; employees entitled to a paid day off or premium pay
- ✓26 weeks maternity leave (16 paid by DEASP at €274/week); additional 16 weeks unpaid
- ✓7 weeks paternity leave (paid by the state); planned increase to 9 weeks
- ✓5 days sick leave per year paid by employer at 70% (Sick Leave Act 2022, scaling to 10 days by 2026)
Wages & Pay
- ✓National Minimum Wage: €12.70/hr for employees aged 20+ (2024)
- ✓Living Wage: €13.80/hr (voluntary target for 2026)
- ✓Payment of Wages Act: wage slips required; unlawful deductions prohibited
- ✓Auto-enrolment pension: launching 2025 — employer 1.5%, employee 1.5%, state 0.5% (scaling up)
- ✓Tip and Gratuity legislation (2023): employers must distribute tips fairly to relevant employees
PRSI & Social Insurance
- ✓Employer PRSI: 11.05% on most earnings (Class A; employees earning < €441/week pay 8.8%)
- ✓Employee PRSI: 4% on all earnings above €352/week
- ✓USC (Universal Social Charge): progressive rates 0.5–8%; employer withholds via PAYE
- ✓PAYE (income tax): employer withholds under Revenue's real-time PAYE (RPN) system
- ✓Revenue Payroll Notifications (RPNs) must be retrieved before each payroll run
Termination
- ✓Minimum notice: 1 week (13 weeks–2 years) to 8 weeks (15+ years) under Minimum Notice Act
- ✓Unfair dismissal protection after 12 months' continuous service (Unfair Dismissals Acts)
- ✓Redundancy: 2 weeks' statutory pay per year of service + 1 bonus week (min 2 years' service required)
- ✓WRC (Workplace Relations Commission) adjudicates disputes; Labour Court hears appeals
- ✓Compromise agreements (Settlement Agreements) used to manage exits; require independent legal advice
How to Hire in Ireland with Vectis
From offer letter to first payroll — fully compliant with Irish employment law.
Share the details
Role, salary in EUR, location, and start date. We confirm PRSI class and minimum wage compliance.
We draft the contract
Irish-law employment contract covering all terms required under the Terms of Employment (Information) Act. English language.
Revenue registration & PRSI
PAYE/PRSI registration with Revenue, RPN retrieval for the employee, and auto-enrolment pension setup (2025 onward).
Monthly payroll & ROS filings
Monthly payroll with PAYE, USC, PRSI deductions; RPN updates retrieved before each run; monthly P30 filings via Revenue Online Service.
“Ireland was our EU beachhead and we needed someone who knew Revenue inside out. Vectis had our Dublin engineer fully onboarded in under 24 hours — PAYE, PRSI, and everything in order.”
Public Holidays in Ireland
Ireland has 10 public holidays. The addition of St. Brigid's Day in 2023 made Ireland's holiday entitlement one of the most generous in the EU. Vectis tracks all obligations automatically.
Ireland Hiring FAQs
Common questions about employing staff in Ireland.
Ready to hire in Ireland?
Vectis is your Employer of Record in Ireland — managing PAYE, PRSI, Revenue RPN compliance, the auto-enrolment pension, statutory sick pay, and all Irish employment law obligations.
Hire in Ireland compliantly — in 24 hours
No entity required. Onboard in 48 hours.