Domestic Worker Rights in Ireland: A Guide for Household Employers

A cleaner you employ directly in your home has the same core employment rights as any other employee in Ireland. The Workplace Relations Commission is clear that domestic employment is not generally exempt: that means at least the minimum wage, written terms, payslips, paid annual leave, public holiday benefits and statutory sick pay, even for a few hours a week.

These duties apply when you are the employer. If you hire a cleaning company or a genuinely self-employed cleaner, the company or the cleaner handles them. Our guide to employing a cleaner and tax explains how to tell the difference and what Revenue expects.

What is the minimum wage for a domestic worker?

Age	From 1 January 2026	Announced from 1 January 2027
20 and over	€14.15	€14.94
19	€12.74	€13.45
18	€11.32	€11.95
Under 18	€9.91	€10.46

Sources: the Government's 2026 rate announcement; the National Enterprise Hub's Budget 2027 briefing and the Irish Times on the 2027 adult rate and start date; Sage's 2027 payroll guidance for the youth rates.

Minimum wage rights apply to part-time domestic employees too. If you currently pay close to €14.15, plan now for the January 2027 increase.

What written terms must I give?

The WRC's terms of employment rules set two deadlines:

Deadline	What to include
Within 5 days of starting	Names of employer and employee, the workplace, the duties, the start date, pay, and expected hours
Within 1 month	The fuller statement: leave, sick pay, pensions, notice and the other required details

For a domestic cleaner this does not need to be complicated. A short document covering the job, the hours, the pay and the rules on leave can do the job, as long as it includes everything the WRC lists.

Payslips

You must give a written payslip with every wage payment, showing gross pay and each deduction. Payroll software produces these automatically if you are registered with Revenue.

How much annual leave does a cleaner get?

Part-time and casual employees build up paid leave from the day they start. For a cleaner working limited hours, the usual calculation is 8% of hours worked, capped at four normal working weeks. Where more than one statutory method applies, use whichever gives the employee the most.

A worked example: a cleaner who works 4 hours a week for a full year works about 208 hours. 8% of 208 is 16.6 hours, roughly four weeks of their usual visits paid as leave.

What about public holidays?

There are 10 public holidays a year. A part-time employee qualifies once they have worked at least 40 hours in the five weeks before the public holiday.

For each public holiday, the employer chooses one of these:

• a paid day off on the day
• a paid day off within a month
• an extra day of annual leave
• an extra day's pay

If an eligible employee does not normally work on that day of the week, they generally receive one-fifth of their normal weekly pay. A cleaner who works two hours a week will not usually reach the 40-hour threshold, but one working longer hours may.

Is a cleaner entitled to sick pay?

Statutory sick pay remains at five days in 2026. Under the WRC's sick leave rules:

• It applies after 13 weeks' service.
• It covers days the employee would ordinarily have worked.
• It is paid at 70% of usual daily earnings, capped at €110 a day.
• The employee needs a medical certificate.

The WRC code of practice for work in other people's homes

The WRC has a specific code, Protecting Persons Employed in Other People's Homes, aimed at household employers. Its main expectations:

• Set out duties, hours, breaks, pay and any travel arrangements clearly.
• Agree any additional duties rather than adding them as you go.
• Reimburse reasonable work expenses promptly.
• Respect the employee's dignity and privacy.
• Tell the employee about any intended workplace surveillance, such as cameras.
• Never hold on to an employee's passport or other personal documents.
• Respect their right to join a union and their personal life outside work.
• For live-in employees, provide a private, secure room, with any sharing agreed in advance.
• Make deductions for breakages only in line with wage law.

Two of these catch people out. If you have indoor cameras or a video doorbell that will record your cleaner at work, tell them at the start. And if something is broken, you cannot simply dock their wages; any deduction has to follow wage legislation.

What happens if my cleaner is injured at work?

If your cleaner is your employee, you could be liable for an injury in your home. Some home insurance policies include liability to domestic employees: for example, one insurer's published wording covers legal liability for death, injury or illness up to €3 million including costs, and another's 2026 policy wording gives the same limit only where contents cover is held. Check your own policy, and tell your insurer you employ someone if the policy requires it. Our guide to cleaner insurance explains the different types of cover.

Where to get help

• WRC: the domestic workers page and the code of practice are the official starting points.
• Revenue: for registering as an employer and running payroll, see employing a cleaner and tax.

This guide summarises official guidance as of October 2026. It is not legal advice; for a specific situation, contact the WRC or a solicitor.

If you would rather not take on employer duties, a cleaning company or genuinely self-employed cleaner is the simpler option. Compare the two in our guide to company vs independent cleaners, or browse cleaners by county.