Employment Contract Ireland

Under Irish law, every employee must receive a written statement of their terms of employment within 5 days of starting work. Here's what must be included and how to structure the contract.

Mandatory terms (Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2018)

Your employment contract must include at minimum:

• Full names of employer and employee
• Address of the employer
• Place of work (or statement that work is at various places)
• Job title and description of duties
• Date employment starts
• Expected duration (if fixed-term)
• Rate of pay and how it's calculated
• Pay reference period (weekly, monthly)
• Hours of work (including overtime)
• Annual leave entitlement
• Notice periods (employer and employee)
• Reference to any collective agreements
• Probation period and conditions
• Pension scheme details (if any)
• Sick leave and sick pay entitlement
• Training entitlements

Working hours

The Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 sets:

• Maximum 48 hours/week (averaged over 4 months)
• 11 consecutive hours rest per 24 hours
• One 24-hour rest period per 7 days
• 15-minute break after 4.5 hours, 30 minutes after 6 hours

Annual leave

Minimum 20 working days per year (for full-time). Plus 10 public holidays. Part-time employees accrue proportionally (8% of hours worked).

Notice period

Minimum Notices and Terms of Employment Act 1973:

• 13 weeks – 2 years: 1 week notice
• 2 – 5 years: 2 weeks
• 5 – 10 years: 4 weeks
• 10 – 15 years: 6 weeks
• 15+ years: 8 weeks

The contract can specify a longer notice period but not shorter than the statutory minimum.

Probation

Probation periods of 6 months are standard (extendable to 11 months by written agreement). During probation, the Unfair Dismissals Acts do not apply (employee needs 12 months' service to claim unfair dismissal).

GDPR clause

Include a data protection clause explaining:

• What employee data you collect and why
• Legal basis (contract performance)
• Retention period
• Employee rights (access, rectification, erasure)
• Contact for data protection queries

Sick leave (2026)

Under the Sick Leave Act 2022 (phased in), employees are entitled to paid sick leave of 5 days per year in 2026 (increasing to 7 by 2025 and 10 by 2026). Statutory sick pay is 70% of normal pay, capped at €110/day.

Our Employment Contract template

Our sign template library includes a pre-built Employment Contract Ireland template with all mandatory terms, 6 form fields for customisation, and built-in e-signature. Ready to send to your new hire in minutes.

Use Employment Contract template →

---

General information, not legal or employment advice. Last updated 16 April 2026.