Employment Rules

There are rules that govern every employment relationship in Ireland, and these apply to live-in carers too.

• 11 hours of uninterrupted rest every 24 hours — in practice, a carer works by day (roughly 9am–10pm) with breaks in between blocks of work, or by night, but not both.
• A maximum of 48 hours per week, typically 8 hours per day across 6 days, with at least 24 consecutive hours completely free every week. Our contracts guarantee 35 hours across a maximum of 5 days, with additional hours or days counted as overtime.
• A 10% Sunday supplement on top of salary for any work done on a Sunday.
• Four weeks of paid holidays per year — 20 days if working 5 days a week, 24 days if working 6 full days a week.
• Double pay for work on a bank holiday, or the normal rate if given the day off.
• 2 or 3 weeks’ written notice to terminate the employment relationship, depending on circumstances.

For a comprehensive overview of employment rights, consult the Workplace Relations Commission or Citizens Information websites.