Employee Handbook Ireland: What to Include in 2026

Last updated October 2026. General information only, not legal advice.

No Irish law says an employer must have a document called an “employee handbook”. But a long list of laws and codes of practice expect employers to give staff specific information and procedures in writing, and a handbook is the usual place to keep them. Citizens Information notes that contract terms can be set out in other documents that form part of the contract, such as a staff handbook. This guide sets out what an Irish handbook should cover in 2026, which items are legal requirements and which are good practice.

Handbook or contract: what goes where?

The contract and the handbook do different jobs. Under the Terms of Employment (Information) Acts, an employer must give each employee a written statement of core terms within 5 days of starting. These include the names of employer and employee, the place of work, job title, start date, pay, normal hours and any probation period. The remaining terms, such as paid leave, sick pay, pension arrangements and notice periods, must follow in writing within one month. A change to those terms must be notified no later than the day it takes effect.

Those individual terms belong in the contract or written statement. The handbook holds the policies and procedures that apply to everyone. It helps to state clearly in both documents which parts of the handbook are contractual and which are policies the employer may update. See our guide to what the law requires in an Irish employment contract for the contract side.

Policies the law expects you to have in writing

Disciplinary and dismissal procedure

Section 14 of the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977 requires an employer to give each employee written notice of the procedure it will follow before dismissing them, not later than 28 days after the contract begins. The Code of Practice on Grievance and Disciplinary Procedures (S.I. No. 146 of 2000) says procedures should be in writing, in language that is easily understood, and that copies should be given to all employees at the start of employment. It also sets out the right to be represented and the right to an internal appeal. Our disciplinary procedure guide for employers covers this in detail.

Grievance procedure

The same Code covers grievances. A handbook should tell employees how to raise a complaint, who hears it, and how to appeal.

Health and safety

The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires a written safety statement based on a risk assessment. The Health and Safety Authority’s guidance says it must be brought to employees’ attention at least annually, on recruitment and whenever it is changed. Most employers keep the safety statement as a separate document and refer to it in the handbook.

Bullying, harassment and sexual harassment

The joint HSA and WRC Code of Practice on the Prevention and Resolution of Bullying at Work took effect on 23 December 2020. It expects employers to have an anti-bullying policy and a way of dealing with complaints. Separately, the Code of Practice on Sexual Harassment and Harassment at Work (S.I. No. 106 of 2022) says employers should have a clear, accessible policy and complaints procedure covering the nine equality grounds. These codes are admissible in evidence before the WRC, the Labour Court and the courts, so not having the policies will count against an employer in a dispute.

Protected disclosures (whistleblowing)

Since 17 December 2023, organisations with 50 or more employees must have internal reporting channels under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 as amended. Public bodies must have them whatever their size. Reports must be acknowledged in writing within 7 days and feedback given within 3 months.

Sick leave

Under the Sick Leave Act 2022, employees with 13 weeks’ service are entitled to 5 days’ statutory sick pay a year, paid at 70% of normal pay up to a cap of 110 euro a day, with a medical certificate. The entitlement has been 5 days since 1 January 2024, and in April 2025 the Government announced it would stay at that level. Your handbook should explain how to report absence and what certification you need.

Policies that are strongly recommended

• Right to disconnect. The WRC Code of Practice, in effect since 1 April 2021, encourages employers to agree a policy with staff. The Code is not a statute, but it is admissible in evidence.
• Remote and flexible working requests. Since 7 March 2024 all employees can make a statutory request for remote working. A request can be made from day one, an employer must respond within 4 weeks, and the WRC Code of Practice (S.I. No. 92 of 2024) includes a template policy.
• Probation. Probation is generally limited to 6 months, extendable only in exceptional circumstances to a maximum of 12 months in total.
• Leave. Annual leave, public holidays, and family leave such as maternity, paternity, parental and parent’s leave.
• Data protection. How employee data is used, usually alongside an employee privacy notice.
• IT, email and social media use, expenses, dress code and similar house rules.

What has changed recently

• Pension auto-enrolment. Employees have been auto-enrolled in MyFutureFund since 1 January 2026 if they are aged 23 to 60, earn 20,000 euro or more a year and are not already in a payroll pension for that job. Employer and employee each contribute 1.5% in the first three years. A handbook’s pension section should reflect this.
• Retirement ages. The Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Act 2025 and the WRC Code of Practice on Longer Working (S.I. No. 246 of 2026) affect contractual retirement ages below the State pension age. If your handbook has a retirement policy, review it.
• Minimum wage. The national minimum wage is 14.15 euro an hour in 2026. Budget 2027 announced an increase to 14.94 euro from 1 January 2027.
• Pay transparency. The EU Pay Transparency Directive has not yet been transposed in Ireland. The Government’s autumn 2026 legislation programme lists a Pay Transparency Bill as being in preparation, so further changes are likely.

Keeping the handbook effective

A handbook only protects an employer if staff have seen it and it is followed. Give it to every new starter, keep a signed or electronic acknowledgement, date each version, and review it at least once a year. When you change a policy, tell staff in writing. If a change affects contractual terms, such as pay or hours, it normally needs the employee’s agreement.

Using a template

A small or medium employer can usually build a handbook from a structured template and adapt it to how the business really works. Our Employee Handbook is a self-complete document, and individual policies and letters are in our employment policies and letters category. A template is a starting point: the policies must match your actual practice.

If you are dealing with a live dispute, a dismissal, a collective issue or a workplace with unusual risks, speak to a solicitor. You can search the Law Society’s Find a Solicitor directory.

Frequently asked questions

Is an employee handbook a legal requirement in Ireland?

No law requires a document called a handbook. However, employers must give written terms of employment, a written dismissal procedure within 28 days of the contract starting, and a safety statement, and codes of practice expect written grievance, disciplinary, bullying and harassment policies. A handbook is the usual way to meet these together.

What policies must be in an employee handbook in Ireland?

At a minimum, cover the disciplinary and dismissal procedure, the grievance procedure, bullying and harassment policies, sick leave and absence reporting, and health and safety, with a reference to the safety statement. Employers with 50 or more employees also need internal channels for protected disclosures.

Is an employee handbook legally binding in Ireland?

It depends on how it is written. Parts of a handbook can form part of the contract if the contract says so or the wording shows that was intended. It is good practice to state clearly which sections are contractual and which are policies the employer can update.

How often should an employee handbook be updated?

Review it at least once a year and whenever employment law changes. Recent changes that affect handbooks include pension auto-enrolment from 1 January 2026 and the new rules on contractual retirement ages.

Do small businesses in Ireland need an employee handbook?

The written-terms, dismissal-procedure and safety-statement duties apply to employers of every size, so even a business with one or two employees benefits from having its procedures in one document. The protected disclosures channel requirement only applies from 50 employees, apart from public bodies and certain regulated sectors.

Sources: WRC: terms of employment; Code of Practice on Grievance and Disciplinary Procedures (S.I. 146/2000); Citizens Information: sick leave and sick pay; WRC: protected disclosures obligations; Citizens Information: auto-enrolment.

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