New annual leave changes to benefit employees on long-term sick

With effect from 1st August 2015, employees will be able to accrue annual leave while they are on long-term sick leave. This new measure brings the Organisation of Working Time Act into line with recent rulings of the Court of Justice of the EU, giving workers in Ireland the same rights as everybody all over Europe.

Under the new changes, an annual leave carry-over period of 15 months after a leave year will apply to those employees who could not, due to illness, take annual leave during the relevant leave year or during the normal carry-over period of six months.

In addition, if a worker's employment is terminated, payment in lieu of untaken accrued annual leave will apply to leave which was untaken as a result of illness in circumstances where the employee leaves the employment within a period of 15 months following the end of the leave year during which the statutory leave entitlement accrued.

Posted byVictoria ClarkeinPayroll