Asking for annual leave shouldn’t feel like asking for a kidney, yet somehow it often does. The good news: you have more rights than you might think, and a bit of timing and tact gets you the days you want far more often than luck does. Here’s what the law says in Ireland, and how to ask so the answer is yes.
How much leave you’re entitled to
Every employee in Ireland, whether full-time, part-time, temporary or casual, earns paid annual leave under the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997. The legal minimum is worked out in one of three ways, and you get whichever gives you the most:
- Four working weeks if you work at least 1,365 hours in the leave year. For someone working five days a week, that’s 20 days.
- A third of a working week for every month in which you work at least 117 hours.
- 8% of the hours you work in the leave year, up to a maximum of four working weeks.
Your contract can give you more than this, never less. Public holidays are separate and on top: the ten bank holidays don’t come out of your annual leave. More on those in our guide to your bank holiday rights.
New in the job or part-time? You build up leave from day one, so a new starter can usually take some leave in their first few months, just less than a full year’s worth. Part-time workers earn it in proportion to the hours they work, and the 8% method is often the simplest way to check your figure.
Who decides when you take it
Here’s the part people don’t love: legally, your employer decides when your annual leave is taken. But there are conditions. They have to take into account your need to balance work and family responsibilities and your chance to rest, and they’re meant to consult you (or your union) at least a month before the leave. Once you’ve worked eight months in the leave year, you’re also entitled to an unbroken two-week block.
In practice, most workplaces run on a simple rule: ask early, ask clearly, and don’t all ask for the same week. Which brings us to the strategy.
When to ask
- As soon as the leave year opens. Many employers use January to December, though the legal leave year runs from April to March. Either way, the first few weeks are when the best dates are still free.
- Before you book anything. A non-refundable flight is not a negotiating tactic.
- Earlier for the busy weeks. Christmas, Easter, the Halloween mid-term and August go fastest, especially in teams with parents.
- Around the bank holidays. A day or two next to a bank holiday gets you far more time off. Our annual leave planner shows exactly which days.
How to ask so the answer is yes
Make it easy to say yes. That means giving the dates, showing you’ve thought about cover, and asking in writing so there’s a record. Something like this works for most managers:
Hi Siobhán, I’d like to book annual leave from Tuesday 4 to Friday 7 May (4 days), around the May bank holiday. Aoife has agreed to cover the weekly report, and I’ll have the project update finished before I go. Could you let me know if that works? Thanks!
A few habits that help:
- Check the team calendar first. If three people are already off that week, propose a different one before you’re refused.
- Offer a plan B. “If that week’s tight, the following one also works” turns a no into a yes.
- Hand over properly. The person who leaves a tidy handover gets their next request approved faster. Funny, that.
- Use your leave. Leave you hoard until November is leave you’ll be fighting over in November.
If your request is refused
A no isn’t always the end. Ask what would make it work: different days, a shorter break, or arranging cover. Remember your employer has to consider your family responsibilities and your need for rest, and you’re entitled to take your full annual leave during the year. If you’re repeatedly blocked from taking leave at all, talk to HR or your union, and the Workplace Relations Commission is there if it comes to that.
Carrying leave over, sick days and getting paid instead
- Carrying over: leave should usually be taken in the leave year, or within six months after it if your employer agrees. Don’t count on it rolling over: check your company’s policy.
- Sick on holiday: if you’re ill during annual leave and get a medical certificate, those days don’t count as leave, and you can take them later.
- Paid instead of leave: generally, you can’t swap annual leave for money. The exception is when you leave a job, when any leave you haven’t taken is paid out.
Make every day count
Once you know how many days you have, spend them where they stretch furthest. A bank holiday Monday plus four days of leave gets you nine days off. Our annual leave hacks show the best combinations for the year, and our escapes in Ireland and city breaks give you somewhere to go.
Frequently asked questions
How many days of annual leave do I get in Ireland?
Most full-time employees get at least four working weeks a year, which is 20 days if you work five days a week. Part-time workers earn leave based on hours worked. Your contract may give you more.
Can my employer refuse annual leave?
Your employer decides when leave is taken, so they can refuse particular dates. They must take your family responsibilities and need for rest into account, consult you at least a month in advance, and let you take your full entitlement during the year.
Do bank holidays count as annual leave?
No. The ten public holidays are a separate entitlement on top of your annual leave.
Can I carry annual leave into next year?
Usually only within six months of the end of the leave year, and only if your employer agrees. Check your company’s policy.
What if I’m sick while on annual leave?
If you get a medical certificate, the days you were sick don’t count as annual leave and can be taken later.
More planning help: Your rights on bank holidays Annual leave planner Every bank holiday date
