Hire compliantly in Ireland. Navigate PRSI, the new auto-enrolment pension system and an employment law framework shaped by both Irish statute and EU directive.
Capital
Dublin
Language
English, Irish
Average Salary
EUR 3,750
Payroll Cycle
Monthly
Employer Cost
11.25%
Paid Leave
20 days
Public Holidays
10 days
Tax Rates
20-40%
Detailed guides on the employment topics that matter most when hiring in Ireland. Independently researched, updated for 2026.
We independently review and rank providers based on their actual performance in Ireland, covering pricing transparency, onboarding speed, in-country support and contract compliance.
Ireland launched mandatory auto-enrolment pensions (“My Future Fund”) on 1 January 2026. Any provider that hasn’t built this into their payroll process is already non-compliant for eligible employees.
When you hire in Ireland, the new auto-enrolment pension, rising PRSI rates and active WRC enforcement create employer obligations that increase year on year.
| Key Employment Facts | |
| Minimum Wage | EUR 14.15/hour (from January 2026) |
| Probation Period | Typically 6 months (up to 12 with extension) |
| Standard Working Hours | 48 hours/week maximum (averaged over 4 months) |
| Paid Annual Leave | 20 days (4 working weeks) |
| Notice Period | 1-8 weeks (by length of service) |
| 13th Salary | Not statutory |
| Sick Leave | 5 days at 70% of wages (capped EUR 110/day) |
| Maternity Leave | 26 weeks (state maternity benefit, employer pay not mandatory) |
Good to Know: Ireland’s auto-enrolment pension (“My Future Fund”) launched January 2026 for employees aged 23-60 earning over EUR 20,000. Employer contributions start at 1.5% and rise to 6% by 2036. Statutory sick pay of 5 days at 70% (capped EUR 110/day) is minimal by European standards; most tech and pharma employers offer 20-30 days at full pay. Notice periods scale with tenure: 1 week (13 weeks-2 years), 2 weeks (2-5 years), 4 weeks (5-10 years), 8 weeks (10-15 years). Probation is typically 6 months but can extend to 11 months, staying under the 12-month unfair dismissal threshold.
When you hire in Ireland, employer PRSI of 11.25% plus 1.5% auto-enrolment pension keeps headline costs moderate. But annual PRSI increases through 2028 and pension ratcheting to 6% by 2036 mean costs are rising every year.
| Employer Contributions | |
| Contribution | Employer Rate |
| PRSI Class A (earnings above EUR 552/week) | 11.25% (rising to 11.40% from Oct 2026) |
| PRSI Class A (earnings EUR 552/week or less) | 9.00% (rising to 9.15% from Oct 2026) |
| Auto-Enrolment Pension (from Jan 2026) | 1.5% of gross (year 1-3) |
| Total Employer Cost | ~12.75% of gross salary |
| Employee Taxes | |
| Tax / Contribution | Employee Rate |
| Income Tax (standard band) | 20% (up to EUR 44,000 for single person) |
| Income Tax (higher band) | 40% (income above standard band) |
| USC (Universal Social Charge) | 0.5-8% (tiered by income) |
| Employee PRSI | 4.20% (rising to 4.35% from Oct 2026) |
| Auto-Enrolment Pension (employee share) | 1.5% of gross (year 1-3) |
Good to know: Ireland’s employer cost looks moderate at ~12.75% of gross, but that’s deceptive. The total compensation cost is driven by high gross salaries (Dublin tech roles command EUR 70,000-120,000), not by contribution percentages. A EUR 90,000 employee in Dublin costs the employer approximately EUR 101,250 in PRSI and pension alone, before any benefits. And with PRSI and pension both ratcheting up annually through 2028 and 2036 respectively, the cost trajectory is unambiguously upward.
Ireland has 10 public holidays per year. Part-time employees who work at least 40 hours in the 5 weeks before a public holiday qualify for public holiday entitlements regardless of their usual schedule.
|
Date |
Holiday |
|
January 1 |
New Year’s Day |
|
February 2 |
St. Brigid’s Day (first Monday in February) |
|
March 17 |
St. Patrick’s Day |
|
April 6 |
Easter Monday |
|
May 4 |
May Bank Holiday |
|
June 1 |
June Bank Holiday |
|
August 3 |
August Bank Holiday |
|
October 26 |
October Bank Holiday |
|
December 25 |
Christmas Day |
|
December 26 |
St. Stephen’s Day |
When a public holiday falls on a weekend, employees are entitled to either a paid day off within a month, an additional day of annual leave, or an additional day’s pay. The employer chooses which option to offer. Good Friday is not a public holiday in Ireland, despite a common misconception. Employers who require staff to work on a public holiday must provide one of the following: a paid day off within a month, an extra day of annual leave, or an additional day’s pay.
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