By this summer all workers are set to be entitled to paid sick leave, according to the Minister for Business, Employment and Retail Damien English.
The government approved the new laws last month to give all workers the right to paid sick leave for the first time in Ireland.
The Sick Leave Bill 2022 legislates for a statutory sick pay scheme for all employees, phased in over a four-year period.
Ireland was one of few advanced economies in Europe without a mandatory sick leave entitlement. Under current arrangements, sick leave is provided to about half of all employees through their terms and conditions. There is a big gap between public sector workers of whom almost all get sick pay, and private sector workers where coverage is much less.
The government is also set to approve new leave entitlements for people looking after sick children or relatives.
A proposed new “work-life-balance” law is to come before the cabinet this week which would see workers given up to 5 days unpaid leave per year for family reasons.
Minister English told Midwest News Editor Teresa O'Malley today why paid sick leave for all employees is an important development….
