Ireland PEO Services

Global PEO Services (GPS) helps companies hire employees in Ireland without establishing a legal entity. All human resources, benefits, payroll, and tax needs for the employees are managed by our Ireland PEO, while the new hires and headquarter teams focus on your business goals. Using an Ireland PEO is the fastest and most efficient way to develop a workforce in Ireland.

When hiring employees in Ireland, establishing a subsidiary or branch office is not always the best route, as it’s often a lengthy and expensive process. Hiring via a Professional Employer Organization (PEO), or Employer of Record (EOR), is a faster and often more effective option – especially when starting up in a new country.

Global PEO Services hires the employees on your behalf, legally contracting them through our subsidiary in accordance with Ireland labor laws. As a result, the burden of compliance is on us and the employees can begin work for your company in a matter of days. PEOs/EORs provide you with a streamlined option for hiring employees, testing markets, and responding to growing business needs in Ireland. With Global PEO Services, you get control without taking on legal entity liabilities, contractor risks, or sacrificing on talent or speed to market.

In Ireland, an employment contract can be either in writing or verbal.

However, under the Terms of Employment (Information) Act, an employer must provide employees with a written summary of terms and conditions within two months after their start date.

Some of the details typically mentioned in the written employment contract in Ireland include:

• Employment start date and expected employment duration (if a temporary contract)
• Location and nature of the work
• Information about collective bargaining agreements that affect employment conditions
• and more

The different types of employment relationships are:

• Permanent Employment – Irish labor law does not particularly address permanent employment. However, per the Terms of Work (Information) Act, an employer must provide a written statement of terms and conditions within two months of the start date of employment.
• Fixed-Term Contracts – In Ireland, the employment of a fixed-term employee is:
  • to perform specific work or project
  • under a contract with a particular start and end date
  • under a contract whose continuation is contingent on a particular event, such as external funding
• Temporary Employment – The Terms of Employment (Information) Act of Ireland defines an “agency worker” as an individual recruited by an employment agency under an employment contract that allows the individual to be assigned to work for and under the direction and supervision of an employment agency.”

Probationary Period

A probationary period typically lasts up to 12 months in Ireland.

Employees in Ireland are entitled to the following leaves:

• Annual leave in Ireland – Employees are allowed yearly paid leave of 4 weeks per year.
• Maternity leave in Ireland – Female employees can take paid maternity leave of 26 weeks and additional unpaid maternity leave of 16 weeks.
• Sick leave in Ireland – Employees in Ireland usually do not have a legal entitlement to their employer’s pay while on sick leave. On the other hand, employers can set their sick-leave policies and agree to pay employees while they are unwell.
• Paternity leave in Ireland – Male employees can take two weeks of paid paternity leave which employees must take consecutively.

Holidays

The following are the statutory national holidays in Ireland:

• January 1 – New Year’s Day
• March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day
• April 18 – Easter Monday
• May 2 – May Day
• June 6 – June Bank Holiday
• August 1 – August Bank Holiday
• October 31 – October Bank Holiday
• December 25 – Christmas Day
• December 26 – St. Stephen’s Day

There are typically the following categories of visas in Ireland:

• Long-stay “D” visas (over 90 days)
• Short-stay “C” visas (up to 90 days)
• Multiple-entry and single-entry visas
• Re-entry visas

Most non-EEA nationals need work permits in Ireland. There are generally nine different employment permits under the Employment Permits (Amendment) Act of 2014.

• General Employment Permits (formerly work permits)
• Critical Skills Employment Permits (formerly Green Card permits)
• Dependent/Partner/Spouse Employment Permits
• Reactivation Employment Permits
• Contract for Services Employment Permits
• Intra-Company Transfer Employment Permits
• Internship Employment Permits
• Sport and Cultural Employment Permits
• Exchange Agreement Employment Permits