Client Payment Portal

IRELAND: Minimum Wage to Increase

Dec 20, 2019 | Global

Effective February 1, 2020, the national minimum hourly salary will increase to EUR 10.10, up 3.06 percent from last year. For a 40-hour work week, this equals approximately EUR 404 per week/ EUR 21,008 per year.

What Does this Mean?

  • Existing, initial and renewal applications. Employers of foreign nationals currently on their payroll, and of those seeking to obtain or renew a work permit on or after February 1, 2020 must increase their foreign nationals’ minimum salaries, if necessary, to comply with the new rule.
  • Pending applications. Employers of foreign nationals with pending work permit applications as of February 1, 2020 must increase their foreign nationals’ minimum salaries, if necessary to comply with the new rule.
  • Immigration applications that do not meet the minimum wage will be rejected.

Most work authorization categories in Ireland require a minimum salary that is significantly higher than the national minimum wage. Therefore, practically, this change affects only specific work authorization categories that allow the Irish minimum wage, such as the following:

  • Internship Employment Permit and Atypical Working Scheme Authorization; and
  • Intra-Company Transfer and Contract for Services employment permits, where the employee’s home country salary requires an additional monetary amount (known as a top up) to reach the minimum wage level.

Background

Ireland instituted a minimum wage in 2000 for adult employees over the age of 18 with at least two years of previous employment experience. The minimum wage has increased steadily since then (the last time it was increased was in January 2019), and is considered to be on the high end as compared to the 19 other EU countries with a national minimum wage.

The minimum wage is projected to increase again in January 2021.

Our Advice

Employers who have questions should contact a Wolfsdorf Rosenthal immigration attorney or email the WR Global Immigration team at Global@wolfsdorf.com for case specific advise.

Related Posts:

Entry to Russia: 14-Day Quarantine or Testing Requirements

Beginning on July 15, 2020, foreign citizens and those crossing the Russian border on a regular flight, and entering Russia with any purpose except work, must present documentation of a negative COVID-19 test in Russian or English: (1) The document should confirm a negative result for laboratory analysis of COVID-19 infection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The test for infection should be done not earlier than three calendar days before entering Russia. (2) Or, instead of the PCR test, the traveler can submit a document confirming the existence of antibodies of immunoglobulin G (IgG). If the traveler does not have such a document, he or she must pass the test within three calendar days of entering Russia. In case of a positive result, a person will have to self-isolate with no contact (quarantine) until a negative test is received. Similar requirements apply to Russian citizens. The entry of foreign citizens is still limited, and only special categories of foreign citizens can enter. Issuance of invitation letters and visas has not yet returned to normal. Persons (Russian citizens as well as foreigners) returning to Russia on flights organized by the Russian government must quarantine for 14 calendar days from the date […]

Read More

FRANCE: Decree to Extend Rights of Posted Workers from July 2020

FRANCE: Decree to Extend Rights of Posted Workers from July 2020 Ministerial order 2019-116 of 20 February 2019, which will come into effect on 30 July 2020, transposes into French law European Directive 2018/957 of 28 June 2018, extending the employment rights of posted (seconded) workers. The French labor code already lays down the core rights of posted workers in many areas. In addition to these, the new rules emphasis that every worker seconded to France must receive “equal pay for equal work” rather than just the minimum wage. This principle already applies to workers hired locally in France). The employer will additionally have to reimburse any expenses occurred by the posted worker during the assignment. The posted worker rules will apply for the first 12 months of the posting (extendable by another six months in certain circumstances) after which almost all the workers’ rights obligations on companies established in France will apply. If the posted worker is replaced by another in the same position, the 12 months will be calculated cumulatively. The calculation of the 12-month secondment period will also take into account any ongoing postings starting before 30 July 2020. Failure to comply with the new posting rules will be subject to a fine of […]

Read More