Summary of Family Friendly Rights
Listed below is a summary of family friendly rights, it gives a quick reference for the qualifying period and current rates for each of the family friendly rights (with some additional notes). All payments, except one, are provided through the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and employees must apply directly to the DEASP for them.
| Qualifying Period | Rate | Time Frame | |
| Maternity Benefit |
No qualifying period for leave but payment of benefit is dependent on sufficient PRSI contributions and the employee must be in insurable employment up to the first day of maternity leave. |
Standard rate is €262 per week |
26 weeks Ordinary Maternity Leave, followed immediately by 16 weeks' Additional unpaid Maternity Leave. |
| Adoptive Benefit |
Payment of benefit is dependent on sufficient PRSI contributions. Employee must be in insurable employment up to the first day of Adoptive Leave. |
Standard rate is €262 per week
|
24 weeks Adoptive Leave. followed immediately by 16 weeks' Additional unpaid Adoptive Leave. |
| Paternity Benefit |
No qualifying period for leave but payment of benefit is dependent on sufficient PRSI contributions. |
Standard rate is €262 per week
|
All employees have the right to two weeks paternity leave. It must be taken within 6 months of the birth. |
| Parental Leave |
No qualifying period for leave |
26 weeks unpaid leave |
All employees who are deemed ‘a relevant parent’ have the right to 26 weeks Parental Leave. Both parents have the right to avail of the leave. Leave can be taken in one continuous period of leave or 2 separate blocks of a minimum of 6 weeks each or if the employer consents, broken into working days and/or hours |
| Force Majeure Leave |
No qualifying period however specific criteria must be met – urgent family reasons and the immediate presence of the employee is indispensable owing to an injury or illness of a ‘close family member’. Payment is made by the Employer |
Normal rate of pay **Paid by the employer |
The maximum amount of leave is 3 days in any 12-month period or 5 days in a 36-month period. A close family member is a parent, a spouse or a partner, a child or someone else for whom the employee has regular caring responsibilities. |
| Parents Benefit |
No qualifying period for leave but payment of benefit is dependent on sufficient PRSI contributions. |
Standard rate is €262 per week |
All employees who are deemed ‘a relevant parent’ have the right to 7 weeks Parents Leave. |
| Medical Care Leave | Employees will be required to provide GP certification relative to the medical condition or other documentation as deemed relevant | Unpaid | The Worklife Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 provides for 5-days unpaid leave for parents of children under 12, and carers to manage serious medical care for a child or other relevant person. |