Main legal requirements:
- minimum wages for employees aged 18 or older
- minimum wages for employees aged 16 to 17
- the same rate for the same job for male and female employees
- four weeks' paid annual leave after 12 months in the job
- 11 paid public holidays per year, when these fall on days of the week when an employee would otherwise work
- after six months' employment, five days of sick leave for the next year
- bereavement leave – three days on the death of a close family member, or one day for another person where your employer agrees
- parental leave – the rules around parental leave are currently under review (for up-to-date information, visit the Department of Labour's website)
- leave for defence force volunteers
- after six months' employment
- five days of sick leave for the next year
- three days' bereavement leave on the death of a close family member, or one day for another person where your employer agrees
- 14 weeks' paid maternity leave and ten days' unpaid special leave are available after six months' continuous service with the same employer if you have worked ten or more hours per week
- 12 months' unpaid extended leave is available after 12 months' continuous service
- for paid parental leave, the maximum payment is $372.12 per week (before tax)
- self-employed parents who have worked an average of 10 hours per week for six months or more are also eligible for 14 weeks' paid parental leave.
For further information, freephone: 0800 20 90 20 or visit the Department of Labour.
Employment agreements may also include conditions relating to:
- duties and responsibilities
- the term of the agreement
- pay rates and basis for pay
- other payments
- pay day
- method of pay
- pay review
- hours of work
- holidays and other leave
- training
- health and safety
- consultation
- company policies/codes of conduct
- restraint of trade
- ending the agreement – resignation, retirement and dismissal
- redundancy
- contract renewal price.
