Ireland Annual Leave Calculator
Calculate statutory annual leave using all three Irish methods: the 1,365-hour test, the 117-hour monthly test and 8% of hours worked. The calculator compares the applicable results and uses the highest entitlement.
Calculate your annual leave
No sign-up · instant resultStatutory method comparison
Informational estimate based on the statutory annual-leave calculation rules. Employer policies may provide more generous leave. This is not legal or payroll advice.
Quick answer: Irish statutory annual leave is calculated using three possible methods: four working weeks where at least 1,365 hours are worked in the leave year (unless employment changes during that leave year), one-third of a working week for each calendar month with at least 117 hours, or 8% of hours worked. If more than one method applies, the greater entitlement is used, up to four normal working weeks.
How annual leave is calculated in Ireland
Section 19 of the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 sets out three statutory ways of calculating paid annual leave. More than one method can apply to the same employee, so the correct approach is to calculate the applicable methods and use the one that gives the greater entitlement.
1,365-hour method
An employee who works at least 1,365 hours in the leave year can qualify for four normal working weeks of annual leave.
1,365+ hours → 4 normal working weeksThis method does not apply where it is a leave year in which the employee changes employment.
117-hour monthly method
The employee earns one-third of a normal working week for each calendar month in which at least 117 hours are worked.
Qualifying months × ⅓ working week8% of hours method
Annual leave can equal 8% of the hours worked in the leave year, subject to the statutory maximum.
Hours × 8% ÷ normal weekly hoursThe highest applicable result wins. If two or all three statutory methods apply and produce different results, the employee is entitled to the greater amount. The statutory maximum is four normal working weeks.
What does “four working weeks” actually mean?
A working week is based on the employee’s normal working pattern, rather than automatically meaning seven calendar days. Someone who normally works five days per week has 20 working days in four working weeks; someone who normally works three days per week has 12 working days.
Annual leave at different hours worked
This table illustrates Methods 1 and 3 using a 40-hour normal working week. Method 2 is not shown because it depends on how hours fall within individual calendar months, not simply the total annual hours.
| Annual hours | 1,365-hour method | 8% method | Higher result before Method 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300 hours | Not reached | 0.60 weeks | 0.60 weeks |
| 600 hours | Not reached | 1.20 weeks | 1.20 weeks |
| 900 hours | Not reached | 1.80 weeks | 1.80 weeks |
| 1,200 hours | Not reached | 2.40 weeks | 2.40 weeks |
| 1,365 hours | 4.00 weeks* | 2.73 weeks | 4.00 weeks* |
| 2,080 hours | 4.00 weeks* | 4.16 → capped at 4 | 4.00 weeks |
*The 1,365-hour method is subject to the statutory exception where the employee changes employment during the leave year.
Who gets annual leave in Ireland?
Annual leave is not limited to traditional full-time employment. Workplace Relations Commission guidance states that full-time, part-time, temporary and casual employees earn annual leave entitlements from the time they start work.
The calculation can differ significantly depending on working pattern. Someone working regular full-time hours may reach the 1,365-hour threshold and receive four normal working weeks, while a casual or part-time employee may receive the greater result from the monthly or 8% methods.
Changing jobs during the leave year? Do not automatically use the 1,365-hour method. Section 19 specifically excludes that four-week method in a leave year in which the employee changes employment. Select “Yes” in the calculator so Methods 2 and 3 are compared instead.
Ireland annual leave calculation examples
These examples show why checking all applicable methods matters.
Example 1 — full-time employee
A worker has a 40-hour normal week, works 1,600 hours in the leave year and has not changed employment. Method 1 gives 4 weeks. Method 3 gives 1,600 × 8% = 128 hours ÷ 40 = 3.2 weeks. Method 1 is higher, so the statutory result is 4 weeks.
Example 2 — part-time employee
A worker normally works 30 hours across five days per week and records 900 hours in the leave year. Method 1 is not reached. If no month reaches the 117-hour threshold, Method 2 gives nothing. Method 3 gives 900 × 8% = 72 hours ÷ 30 = 2.4 weeks, equivalent to 12 normal working days.
Example 3 — seasonal employee
A worker records 700 hours in the leave year, but 7 calendar months each contain at least 117 hours. Method 2 gives 7 × ⅓ = 2.33 weeks. If the normal week is 40 hours, Method 3 produces only 1.4 weeks. Method 2 therefore produces the greater statutory entitlement.
Example 4 — employee changes job
An employee reaches 1,400 hours but changes employment during the leave year. The calculator excludes Method 1 because of the statutory exception and compares the 117-hour monthly result with the 8%-of-hours result instead.
Annual leave special cases
Annual-leave entitlement is not only about hours physically spent at the workplace. Several statutory rules can affect accrual, timing and carry-over.
Annual leave during certified sick leave
Statutory annual leave continues to accrue during certified sick leave, including long-term certified sick leave.
15-month sickness carry-over
Where illness prevents an employee from taking annual leave during the relevant leave year or normal carry-over period, the statutory illness-related carry-over period can extend to 15 months after the end of the leave year.
Two-week unbroken period
Where an employee works eight or more months during the leave year, the statutory rules provide for an unbroken two-week annual-leave period, subject to applicable agreements and arrangements.
Other statutory leave
WRC guidance confirms annual leave continues to accrue during several forms of statutory leave including maternity, paternity, parent’s, parental, adoptive and force majeure leave, plus the first 13 weeks of carer’s leave.
When employment ends
Payment in lieu of the statutory minimum annual leave is generally not permitted while employment continues, but an employee leaving employment must receive payment for outstanding accrued annual leave.
Annual leave pay
Annual leave itself is paid leave. WRC guidance states that annual-leave pay must be given in advance and is calculated at the employee’s normal weekly rate.
What this calculator does not calculate
This calculator focuses on statutory annual-leave entitlement in weeks and normal working days. It does not attempt to replace payroll records or an employment contract.
- It does not calculate the cash value of annual-leave pay.
- You enter the number of 117+ hour calendar months yourself; the tool does not import monthly timesheets or payroll data.
- It does not schedule the two-week unbroken leave period.
- It does not calculate additional contractual leave provided above the statutory minimum.
- It does not determine whether particular disputed hours should legally count as time worked.
Common Ireland annual leave calculation mistakes
- × Using only the 8% calculation. The 8% method is only one of three statutory methods. An employee may receive more under the 1,365-hour or monthly 117-hour method.
- × Ignoring the 117-hour monthly test. This method can be particularly important for seasonal or variable-hours workers whose hours are concentrated in certain calendar months.
- × Calculating 8% of wages. Method 3 is 8% of hours worked, not 8% of gross salary or wages.
- × Treating 117 hours as an annual threshold. It is checked separately for each relevant calendar month.
- × Automatically applying the 1,365-hour rule after changing jobs. The four-week 1,365-hour method contains a statutory exception for a leave year in which the employee changes employment.
- × Assuming four weeks always means 20 days. Twenty days is four working weeks for someone who normally works five days a week. Different working patterns produce a different number of normal working days.
Ireland annual leave calculator FAQs
How much annual leave do employees get in Ireland?
The maximum statutory entitlement under these calculation methods is four normal working weeks per leave year. The employee’s actual entitlement depends on the applicable statutory calculation method.
What are the three annual leave methods?
They are four working weeks where at least 1,365 hours are worked in the leave year, one-third of a working week for each calendar month with at least 117 hours, and 8% of hours worked subject to the four-week maximum.
Which annual leave method should my employer use?
If more than one statutory method applies and the results are different, the employee is entitled to whichever applicable method produces the greater entitlement.
Does 1,365 hours always give four weeks?
Not always. The statutory 1,365-hour method contains an exception where it is a leave year in which the employee changes employment.
What counts as a working week?
For these statutory rules, a working week relates to the number of days the employee usually works in a week. Four working weeks therefore do not automatically mean 20 days for every employee.
Do part-time employees get annual leave?
Yes. WRC guidance states that full-time, part-time, temporary and casual employees earn annual-leave entitlements from the time they start work.
Is the 117-hour rule monthly or yearly?
Monthly. Method 2 provides one-third of a working week for each calendar month in which the employee works at least 117 hours.
Does annual leave accrue while on certified sick leave?
Yes. Statutory annual leave continues to accrue during certified sick leave. Special illness-related carry-over rules can also allow untaken leave to be carried for up to 15 months after the relevant leave year.
Does annual leave accrue during maternity or parental leave?
WRC guidance lists maternity leave, paternity leave, parent’s leave, parental leave, adoptive leave and several other statutory absences as periods during which annual leave continues to accrue.
Can my employer give me more than four weeks?
Yes. Four working weeks is the statutory maximum produced by these minimum statutory calculation methods, but an employer can provide additional contractual annual leave.
Can my employer pay me instead of letting me take annual leave?
The statutory minimum generally cannot simply be replaced with a cash allowance while employment continues. Payment for outstanding statutory annual leave is permitted when the employment relationship ends.
Is annual leave paid at my normal rate?
WRC guidance states that annual-leave pay must be given in advance and is calculated at the employee’s normal weekly rate. This calculator estimates leave entitlement rather than the cash payment.
Sources used for this calculator
The calculator logic is based on the statutory formula and current Workplace Relations Commission guidance.
Other Ireland leave calculators
Important: This calculator provides an informational estimate based on published statutory rules. Individual contracts, collective agreements, sector-specific arrangements and disputed employment facts can affect the final entitlement. It is not legal or payroll advice.