Wages & Hours – McMahon Legal (Solicitors)

Working Time Issues

Zero Hour Contracts A zero-hour contract is one where the employee is expected to be available for a certain number of hours or to be available when required, where there is no guarantee that there will be any paid work available.… Read the rest

Working Time – Sectors

General Exceptions The working time legislation excludes certain categories of workers. It does not apply to members of the Garda Siochana and the Defence Forces. Certain parts of the legislation, in particular, those dealing with minimum rest periods, night working, Sunday work and zero hour working practices, do not apply to certain categories of persons including the following persons; those involved in sea fishing; doctors in training; those employed by a relative; those employed in a relative’s household or employed in a dwelling house or farm on which the relative resides; and persons who fix their own working time.… Read the rest

Working Time

Organisation of Working Time The law on the organisation of working time seeks to ensure that employees do not work excessive hours. It is based to a considerable extent, on health, safety and welfare at work considerations. … Read the rest

Payment of Wages

Background to Wages Legislation The Truck Acts 1831 to 1896 required payment of most manual workers in cash, or more precisely, the “current coin of the realm”. The initial purpose of the legislation was to limit abuses whereby workers were paid in tokens, redeemable at the employer’s shop.… Read the rest

Minimum Wage

Minimum Wage There is a national minimum wage. The hourly rate can be adjusted by the Government by order. It is currently €9.55 per hour (January 2018).. All employees over 18 years are entitled to be paid no less than the minimum wage. … Read the rest

Holidays

Background to Holiday Legislation EU Directives require that Member States take measures in order to ensure that every worker is entitled to paid leave of at least four weeks per year. The terms of the entitlement to leave, are to be provided by national legislation and/or practice. … Read the rest