Serious Illness, Work and Income in Ireland

Questions about work and money arrive fast after a diagnosis — what leave you're entitled to, what your employer can ask, and what support is available if you can't work. This guide covers your rights and options in plain terms. If you'd rather have a plan built around your situation, answer a few questions and we'll build one around you →

What you have to tell your employer — and what you don't

There is no general legal duty to name your diagnosis to your employer. You are only required to provide enough information for your employer to understand that a health condition is affecting your ability to work — or to enable them to make appropriate arrangements for your absence or return. In most cases, describing your functional limitations is sufficient; you do not have to share the name of your illness, your prognosis, or your treatment details.

If your condition means you need time off or changes to how you work, your employer may ask for information so they can make arrangements. It is reasonable to describe what you can and can't do without specifying the underlying diagnosis. If you do choose to share more, put any agreed arrangements about leave, hours, or adjusted duties in writing so both sides have a clear record.

One exception: if your role requires a statutory licence — such as a commercial vehicle driver's licence or a professional registration with a regulatory body such as the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI), the Medical Council, or the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland — that body may have its own fitness-to-practise or reporting requirements separate from your employment relationship. Check your registration conditions if this applies to you.

Under the Employment Equality Acts 1998–2015, disability is a protected ground. The Acts define disability broadly to include any condition that substantially restricts a person's ability to participate in employment — which encompasses many serious illnesses. Employees are protected from discrimination, harassment, and victimisation on the ground of disability from the moment the employer knows or ought to know of the condition.

Statutory Sick Pay

The Sick Leave Act 2022 gives employees a statutory right to paid sick leave. In 2026, you are entitled to 5 days of statutory sick pay per year, paid at 70% of your normal daily earnings, subject to a cap of €110 per day. To qualify you must have been continuously employed by your employer for at least 13 weeks, and you must provide a medical certificate from your GP from the first day of illness. The statutory sick pay entitlement does not cover the self-employed.

The Sick Leave Act sets the statutory minimum — your employer may operate a more generous occupational sick pay scheme that pays for longer or at a higher rate. Check your contract of employment or staff handbook for your specific entitlement.

If your employer refuses to pay statutory sick pay to which you are entitled, you can make a complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). A complaint must generally be submitted within six months of the alleged breach (extendable to 12 months if there is reasonable cause for the delay). The WRC process is straightforward — complaints are submitted online at workplacerelations.ie and heard by an Adjudication Officer, whose decision can be appealed to the Labour Court.

Reasonable accommodation under the Employment Equality Acts

Under the Employment Equality Acts 1998–2015, an employer is required to provide appropriate measures to enable a person with a disability to access, participate in, or advance in employment — unless those measures would impose a disproportionate burden on the employer. This obligation is Ireland's equivalent of what other jurisdictions call "reasonable adjustments" and is a legally enforceable right.

Whether measures constitute a disproportionate burden depends on the cost involved, the employer's financial resources, and the scale and nature of the organisation. A large employer is expected to do more than a small one. You can request appropriate measures in writing without using the word "disability" or providing a specific diagnosis — describing the difficulties you are experiencing and what would help is enough to trigger the employer's obligation to consider the request.

Appropriate measures can include:

• A phased return to work after sick leave — starting on reduced hours and building back up over an agreed period
• Amended or modified duties — removing tasks that your condition makes difficult
• Adjusted start and finish times or a compressed working week
• Increased flexibility about working from home
• Additional rest breaks during the working day
• Provision of specialist equipment, adapted software, or physical adaptations to your workspace
• Redeployment to a more suitable role, if available

If you feel your employer is not meeting their obligations, you can make a complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) under the Employment Equality Acts. The time limit is six months from the most recent act of discrimination or failure to provide appropriate measures (extendable to 12 months for reasonable cause). The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) can provide information, advice, and in some cases legal assistance — see ihrec.ie.

Protection from unfair dismissal

Employees with at least 12 months' continuous service are protected from unfair dismissal under the Unfair Dismissals Acts 1977–2015. Dismissing an employee because of illness — or principally because of absences caused by illness — can amount to an unfair dismissal if the employer has not followed a fair process.

For a dismissal on incapacity grounds to be considered fair, an employer must at minimum: obtain up-to-date medical evidence about your condition, prognosis, and likely return to work; consult properly with you and give you a genuine opportunity to respond; consider whether appropriate measures or alternative roles could allow you to remain in employment; and follow fair and reasonable procedures throughout. A dismissal without going through these steps will very likely be found unfair by a WRC Adjudication Officer.

Separately, where the dismissal is connected to your disability, it may also constitute discriminatory dismissal under the Employment Equality Acts — and crucially, there is no minimum service period for a discrimination claim. This means even employees with less than 12 months' service can bring a claim if the dismissal was related to their disability or illness.

If you are dismissed and believe it was unfair or discriminatory:

• Submit a complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) at workplacerelations.ie. Complaints are heard by an Adjudication Officer and can be appealed to the Labour Court.
• The time limit for an unfair dismissal complaint is six months from the date of dismissal (extendable to 12 months for reasonable cause). For an Employment Equality claim, the time limit is six months from the most recent act (also extendable to 12 months). Do not delay.
• Citizens Information or a solicitor experienced in employment law can advise on your options — many solicitors offer a free initial consultation.

Long-term absence and returning to work

Extended sick leave does not automatically end your employment, but a prolonged absence may prompt your employer to begin a formal medical review process. This typically involves seeking an independent medical opinion on your prognosis and likely return date. You should be kept informed and involved throughout — a process carried out without your participation is unlikely to be considered fair.

Where a return to work is medically possible, a phased return — starting on reduced hours or modified duties and building back over an agreed period — is a common and well-recognised appropriate measure. Agree the terms in writing before you return, including the timetable and any review points.

If you have been receiving Illness Benefit or Invalidity Pension and want to return to work despite a reduced capacity, Partial Capacity Benefit allows you to work while continuing to receive a DSP payment. The payment is set at 50%, 75%, or 100% of your existing benefit rate depending on the assessed degree of restriction on your work capacity. You need to have been on Illness Benefit for at least 6 months, or to be on Invalidity Pension, before applying. Apply through DSP.

If a family member reduces work to care for you

If someone close to you has had to reduce or stop paid work to care for you, they may have legal protections and financial support available to them.

The Carer's Leave Act 2001 gives employees the right to take unpaid, job-protected leave for up to 104 weeks to provide full-time care and attention to someone who needs it. Leave is normally taken in periods of at least 13 weeks (though an employer can agree to shorter periods). The carer must give at least six weeks' written notice to their employer. The person being cared for must require full-time care and attention, as confirmed by DSP. The carer's job — or a comparable job — must be kept open for them on return.

On the financial side, the following DSP supports may be available to a carer:

• Carer's Benefit — a PRSI-based payment for employees or self-employed people who take time off work to provide full-time care. Paid for up to 2 years (in total across all caring periods). Requires at least 156 weeks of PRSI contributions paid.
• Carer's Allowance — a means-tested weekly payment for people providing full-time care to someone who needs it continuously. The person being cared for must require this level of support due to age, disability, or illness.
• Carer's Support Grant — an annual grant paid to eligible carers, including those on Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit, or Domiciliary Care Allowance. Check gov.ie for the current grant amount.

Your carer should check with Citizens Information before applying, as receiving Carer's Allowance can affect entitlement to other social welfare payments they hold.

Redundancy while you're ill

Being on sick leave does not remove your entitlement to statutory redundancy. Under the Redundancy Payments Acts 1967–2014, if your role is genuinely made redundant while you are absent due to illness, you are entitled to the same redundancy process and payment as any other employee.

Employees with at least 2 years' continuous service are entitled to statutory redundancy pay, calculated as 2 weeks' pay per year of service plus one additional bonus week, subject to a weekly earnings ceiling — check gov.ie for the current ceiling, as it is set by legislation. Continuous service accrues during sick leave.

What an employer cannot do is use long-term sick leave as a reason to select someone for redundancy. If you believe you were selected because of your illness or disability, this may be unfair selection and could constitute discriminatory dismissal under the Employment Equality Acts — no minimum service period applies for discrimination claims. Raise your concerns in writing with your employer and seek advice from Citizens Information or a solicitor.

If you're self-employed

Self-employed people in Ireland pay Class S PRSI, which does not cover short-term illness payments. This means that if you cannot work due to illness, you have no entitlement to Statutory Sick Pay (there is no employer to pay it) and no entitlement to Illness Benefit (which requires Class A or similar PRSI for the short-term payment). The employment protections in the Unfair Dismissals Acts and Employment Equality Acts apply to employment relationships — not to self-employment in the same way.

What self-employed people can access:

• Invalidity Pension — Class S PRSI does count towards Invalidity Pension, so if you have built up sufficient contributions (260 weeks paid since starting work, 48 weeks paid or credited in the relevant year) and meet the long-term incapacity criteria, you may qualify.
• Disability Allowance — means-tested, so your income and assets will be assessed; no PRSI requirement.
• Partial Capacity Benefit — available once you qualify for Invalidity Pension, if you want to do some work.
• Long-Term Illness Scheme — free drugs and medicines for listed conditions, regardless of PRSI class or income.
• Supplementary Welfare Allowance / Additional Needs Payment — a safety-net payment administered by the Community Welfare Service within DSP, for people in financial difficulty who do not qualify for other payments. See below.

This gap in short-term illness cover is precisely why income protection insurance matters more for self-employed people than for employees. If you hold a policy, check your waiting period and benefit terms now — before you need to claim.

DSP income supports — a summary

If your income stops or drops because of illness, the main supports available through the Department of Social Protection (DSP) are:

• Illness Benefit — PRSI-based, from day 6 of illness for most employees (SSP covers the first 5 days; day 4 applies only if SSP is already exhausted for the year), up to 2 years. Applies to employees with sufficient Class A (or equivalent) PRSI contributions. Apply through MyWelfare.ie.
• Invalidity Pension — PRSI-based (including Class S), for long-term or permanent incapacity. Apply through MyWelfare.ie.
• Disability Allowance — means-tested, ages 16–66, for a disability expected to last at least a year. Apply through MyWelfare.ie or your local Intreo Centre.
• Partial Capacity Benefit — for people on Illness Benefit (at least 6 months) or Invalidity Pension who can do some work. Apply through DSP.
• Additional Needs Payment (formerly Exceptional Needs Payment) — administered by the Community Welfare Service. A one-off or short-term payment for urgent financial needs not met by other schemes. Applied for in person or by contacting your local Intreo Centre.

Claim as soon as you need to — none of these payments is backdated to before your claim date in normal circumstances.

Keep a simple record

As you navigate sick leave, DSP claims, and employer requests, maintain a basic written record. A notebook, a folder of emails, or a notes app is sufficient — but having a record matters if anything is disputed later.

• Keep copies of all medical certificates before handing them to your employer.
• Save payslips showing your sick pay and any changes to your income.
• Keep copies of all written requests for appropriate measures (reasonable accommodation) and your employer's responses.
• Note dates and a brief summary of important verbal conversations — with your manager, HR, or DSP — and email yourself immediately afterwards so the timestamp is clear.
• Hold on to all DSP correspondence, reference numbers, and decision letters in one place.

Key contacts

• Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) — 0818 80 80 90 or workplacerelations.ie. The body that handles complaints about sick pay, discrimination, unfair dismissal, and other employment rights. Adjudication services, information, and mediation are all available through the WRC.
• Citizens Information — 0818 07 4000 (Monday to Friday, 9am–8pm) or citizensinformation.ie. Free, independent information on your employment rights, benefits entitlements, and services. You can also visit a Citizens Information Centre in person.
• Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) — ihrec.ie or 01 858 9601. Information, advice, and in some cases legal assistance for people who have experienced discrimination. IHREC can also make applications to the WRC on your behalf in certain circumstances.
• Department of Social Protection — gov.ie/dsp. Information on all DSP payments including Illness Benefit, Invalidity Pension, Disability Allowance, Partial Capacity Benefit, and Carer's supports. Apply and manage claims through MyWelfare.ie or at your local Intreo Centre.
• MABS (Money Advice and Budgeting Service) — 0818 07 2000 or mabs.ie. Free, confidential money advice for people in financial difficulty, including managing income changes, debt, and budgeting during illness.