Know Your Rights at Work

At what age can a young person start work?

In general employers cannot take on a young person under 16. However, they currently may take on 14 and 15 year olds on light work under certain conditions.

Are there limits on starting and finishing times for young persons?

A person aged 14 and 15 currently cannot start work before 8am and they cannot work beyond 8pm on any day.

A person aged 16 or 17 currently cannot start work before 6am, and they cannot work beyond 10pm when they have school the following day. If they are not required to be in school the following day, they may not work beyond 11pm.

How many hours can a young person currently work each day/week? 

• A person aged 14 cannot work during the school term.
• They may work a maximum of 40 hours per week during work experience.
• A person aged 15 may work a maximum of 8 hours per week during the school term, a maximum of 35 hours during school holidays, and up to 40 hours during work experience.
• A person aged 16 or 17 may work a maximum of 8 hours per day and up to 40 hours per week.
• All workers have the right to 11 hours rest before their next shift. (within 24 hours)

Are young persons entitled to special work breaks?

	14/15	16/17
30-minute break after working	4 hours	4 ½ hours
Every 24 hours	14 hours off	12 hours off
Every 7 days	2 days off	2 days off

 

People aged 16/17 are entitled to these breaks but do not have to take them.

When I start my job, when should I receive my Contract?

• Within 5 days of starting work, I should receive my core employment terms. The core terms include:
  
  • The full names of the employer and employee
  • The address of the employer
  • The place of work, or where there is no fixed or main place of work, a statement stating that there are various places or you are free to set your own place of work or to work at various places
  • The date the employment started
  • The job title, grade or nature of the work (such as a brief job description)
  • The expected duration of the contract (if the contract is temporary or fixed-term)
  • The rate or method of calculating your pay, and the ‘pay reference period’ (for example, whether you are paid weekly, fortnightly or monthly)
  • What the employer reasonably expects the normal length of your working day and week to be (for example, 8 hours a day, 5 days a week)
  • The duration and conditions relating to the probation period (if there is one)
  • Any terms or conditions relating to hours of work, including overtime
• The full terms to be provided within one month.

What should my hourly rate of pay be?

• The minimum wage is currently €12.70.

*There are sub minimum rates for workers under the age of 20 years. Mandate is currently campaigning and lobbying government to eradicate these rates as they believe that all workers should be treated the same. *

I am out of work sick, am I entitled to be paid?

• From January 2024, all workers are entitled to 5 days sick pay under certain conditions as follows:
  • you must have worked for your employer for at least 13 continuous weeks, and you must have a doctor’s note. For further information contact Mandate mandate@mandate.ie)

Things You Should Know……

Annual Leave: You are entitled to 4 weeks’ annual leave each year. If certified sick you still accumulate annual leave.

Public Holidays: The 10 paid public holidays include New Year’s Day, St Brigid’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter Monday, the first Monday in May, the first Monday in June, the first Monday in August, the last Monday in October, Christmas Day, and St. Stephen’s Day. If you’re required to work on a public holiday, you are generally entitled to additional pay or a paid day off in lieu.

Calculating Annual Leave: Your annual leave is calculated as 8% of the hours you’ve worked. For instance, if you’ve worked 1000 hours in a year (19 hours on average per week), you’re entitled to 80 hours of paid annual leave over 4 weeks.

Part-time and Temporary: All part-time and/or temporary Workers are also entitled to paid annual leave. To be entitled to public holiday benefits, you must have worked for at least 40 hours in the 5 weeks before the public holiday.

During Protective Leave: Workers on protective leave continue to accumulate annual leave and public holiday entitlement during this leave. Maternity leave, adoptive leave, paternity leave, parental leave, parent’s leave and health & safety leave are protective leave.

Banded Hours: Workers if they wish, can formally request, in writing, a specific band of hours based on their average hours worked over the past 12 months. Employers must respond to this request within 4 weeks. For further information contact Mandate mandate@mandate.ie

Weekly Bands of Working Hours:

Band A: 3 to 6 hours

Band B: 6 to 11 hours

Band C: 11 to 16 hours

Band D: 16 to 21 hours

Band E: 21 to 26 hours

Band F: 26 to 31 hours

Band G: 31 to 36 hours

Band H: 36 hours or more

Why Join a Union and How Can they Help?

As a worker you have rights no matter what job you have or what age you are. All workers are entitled to join a trade union and become a member.  All workers should join a union for their employment protection. As a union member you will be given information, advice and support that you receive your entitlements at work.  A union can give you legal representation and may be able to negotiate better pay and benefits for you at work.

For more information on unions, contact Mandate Trade Union at mandate@mandate.ie

*Mandate Trade Union is the union for retail, bar and administrative workers in Ireland. Mandate campaigns and lobbies Government for better living and working conditions for their members. *