The 2026 minimum wage
The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) states that the national minimum wage for an employee aged 20 or over is €14.15 per hour from 1 January 2026. Lower age-based rates apply to workers under 20, and limited exemptions exist. Check the WRC’s current rates and inclusions.
Test the rate using reckonable gross pay and working hours under the official rules. Tips, overtime premiums and some benefits are not interchangeable with basic minimum pay.
The maximum is an average, not a routine target
The WRC says the maximum average working week is 48 hours, usually averaged over four months, with longer reference periods in defined circumstances. See working-hours rules.
Rest and breaks
- 15 minutes after working more than 4.5 hours.
- 30 minutes after working more than 6 hours, which may include the first break.
- 11 consecutive hours of daily rest in each 24 hours.
- 24 consecutive hours of weekly rest, following daily rest.
Some sectors and roles have special rules or compensatory-rest arrangements. Keep rosters and time records if there is a dispute.
If the figures look wrong
- Record hours, breaks and gross pay by pay period.
- Ask the employer in writing for the calculation.
- Check whether a sectoral employment order applies.
- Contact WRC Information and Customer Service or use the formal complaint route within the applicable time limit.
Primary sources
- WRC: National Minimum Wage, accessed 11 July 2026.
- WRC: Working Hours and Breaks, accessed 11 July 2026.
Update triggers: annual wage order, working-time legislation or WRC guidance changes.