Carer's leave

Carer's leave allows you to leave work temporarily to provide full-time care for someone who needs it. You can take carer's leave for a minimum of 13 weeks and up to a maximum of 104 weeks.

You may be eligible for carer's leave for up to 104 weeks if you need to give full-time care to a person.

You need to have 12 months continuous service with the HSE.

Pay while on carer's leave

Carer's leave is unpaid but you may qualify for a weekly payment from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.

Working while on carer's leave

You can work for up to 18.5 hours per week and earn up to €625 take-home pay (your pay after deductions).

Instead of working, you can go on a training course or take up voluntary or community work for up to 18.5 hours per week.

You must make sure that the person you are caring for has adequate care while you are working.

If you work for up to 18.5 hours per week while on carer’s leave, your annual leave and public holiday entitlement is calculated based on your reduced working hours. You are entitled to annual leave and public holidays for the first 13 weeks of carer’s leave.

Ways you can take carer’s leave

You can take carer’s leave as one of the following:

1 continuous period of 104 weeks
1 or more periods of leave, the total of which is not more than 104 weeks

Conditions apply if you take carer’s leave over a number of broken periods.

These include:

the minimum statutory entitlement you can take in 1 period is 13 weeks
you must have a gap of at least 6 weeks between periods of carer’s leave
other arrangements that are more favourable to you, as agreed between you and your manager

You must tell your manager where there's a change of circumstances that affects your entitlement to carer’s leave.

Protection of employment rights

Your employment rights are protected during carer's leave. The only exception to this is your right to pay and superannuation.

You will continue to build up annual leave and public holiday entitlements for the first 13 weeks of the leave.

Periods of probation, training or apprenticeship may be suspended.

Time off on carer’s leave cannot be counted as other types of leave, such as sick leave or annual leave.

How to apply for carer's leave

Ask your manager in writing (email or letter) at least 6 weeks before you want to take carer's leave. In exceptional or emergency situations where you cannot give 6 weeks' notice, give notice as soon as possible.

In your letter, you must include:

that you wish to take carer’s leave under the Carer’s Leave Act 2001
the date you want your leave to start
how you plan to take your leave (in 1 block or in a series of shorter blocks)
a copy of the DSP officer’s (deciding or appeals officer) decision confirming the person you care for is medically certified as needing full-time care

At least 2 weeks before your carer’s leave starts, you and your employer must sign the confirmation document included in the Carers Leave Application Form HR108c (PDF, 77.6KB, 5 pages).

If you decide not to take your carer’s leave, you must tell your manager in writing before the start date on your confirmation form.

Ending your carer’s leave

You can end your carer’s leave in several ways:

on the date specified in your confirmation document
on a date agreed with your manager
if the person you care for no longer needs full-time care
if you no longer meet the requirements to provide full-time care
if the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection decides you are no longer eligible for carer’s leave

If the person you care for dies while you're on carer’s leave, you should return to work on whichever comes first:

6 weeks after their death
the date on your confirmation form

Returning to work

Tell your manager at least 4 weeks before you plan to return to work.

You are entitled to return to the same job you had before your carer’s leave, with the same terms and conditions.

If it’s not possible to return to the same job, you will be offered a suitable alternative job with a new contract. The new contract will not be less favourable to you.

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