Ireland

I wasn't given my holiday entitlement. What do I do?

4 weeks

Minimum paid leave

6 months

Time limit to complain

1997

Governing Act year

20 days

Min. leave for 5-day week

The Short Answer

You are legally entitled to paid annual leave under the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997. If your employer hasn’t given you your holiday entitlement, you can make a complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission within 6 months.

What the Law Says

The Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 sets out your legal right to paid annual leave in Ireland.

Under Irish law, almost all employees — including part-time, temporary, and full-time workers — are entitled to paid annual leave. The amount depends on how long you’ve worked and your hours, but most full-time employees working a 5-day week are entitled to at least 20 days (4 weeks) of paid leave per year.

If you work fewer than 5 days a week, your leave is calculated as 8% of the hours you worked in the leave year — up to a maximum of 24 days (4 weeks) for those working 6 days a week. You start accruing leave from your first day of employment.

Your employer must allow you to take your leave within the leave year (which runs from 1 April to 31 March), or carry it over into the next year only with your agreement — and even then, it must be taken within 6 months of the end of the leave year.

Statutory Text
An employee shall be entitled to paid annual leave of not less than 4 weeks in respect of each leave year.
— Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, s. 19 — Annual leave

What to Do

Check your contract and payslips to confirm how much leave you’ve accrued and whether any was taken or paid in lieu.

Speak informally with your employer first — ask when you can take your outstanding leave or request payment for untaken days (if leaving or if agreed).

If unresolved, submit a written complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) using form WR-AP1.

File your complaint within 6 months of the date your leave entitlement arose or should have been granted.

The WRC will attempt mediation first; if that fails, your case may go to a WRC Adjudication Officer for a binding decision.

Sources

statuteOrganisation of Working Time Act 1997, s. 19 — Annual leave

Same Question, Other Jurisdictions

Not legal advice. This article is general information based on publicly available sources, written for educational purposes. Laws change and individual situations vary. Consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction before acting on anything you read here. Last reviewed: 2026-06-08.