Benefits | Sick Leave | FAQs

Subject to approval of the Head of School/Unit, a full-time staff member may not exceed 7 days uncertified sick leave in any 24-month rolling period. The count back is calculated from the latest absence working backwards over the 24-month period. Any further sick leave must be either certified or deducted from the staff member's annual leave entitlement (for the current or succeeding year), or salary may be deducted.

Yes. Payment will only take place where there is no evidence of abuse of the regulations, including frequent uncertified sick leave and/or where the maximum of 7 days allowable is regularly approached and is used as a means for supplementary annual leave.

Absences of 3 or more consecutive days must be certified by a medical practitioner.  Provided there is no evidence of permanent disability for service, eligible staff may, at the discretion of and subject to University approval:

• receive full pay less Social Welfare Illness Benefit for certified sick leave up to a maximum of three months (92 days) and
• half pay thereafter for a further three months (91 days), subject to a maximum of six months (183 days) paid sick leave in a rolling four-year period

The first 12-month period commences on the first day of certified or uncertified absence.  Subsequent 12-month periods are consecutive until the end of four years. Sick leave periods are calculated retrospectively and include weekends, closures and days the staff member is not scheduled to work that occur within the period of absence.

Where sick leave is not continuous, 6 months is calculated as 183 days, which includes Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays that fall within each period of sick leave. Uncertified sick leave days are also counted in arriving at an aggregate of sick leave taken.

A staff member who becomes incapacitated as a result of a critical illness or serious physical injury may, in exceptional circumstances be granted extended paid sick leave of:

• A maximum of six months (183 days) on full pay in a year
• Followed by a maximum of six months (182 days) on half pay, subject to a maximum of 12 months (365 days) paid sick leave in a four year rolling period

The decision to grant critical illness sick leave to a staff member is made following consultation with the medical practitioners appointed by the University. In determining whether critical illness sick pay is to be granted the medical condition must have at least one of the following characteristics:

1. Acute life threatening physical illness
2. Chronic progressive illness, with well-established potential to reduce life expectancy
3. Major physical trauma ordinarily requiring corrective acute operative surgical treatment
4. In-patient hospital care of 10 consecutive days or greater. In the case of pregnancy-related illness, this is reduced to 2 or more consecutive days of in-patient hospital/clinic care

Critical illness paid sick leave is not granted for cases relating to occupational injury/illness.

Where the relevant period of paid sick leave has been exhausted, an employee with a minimum of 5 years’ service (in a pensionable position) may be granted Temporary Rehabilitation Remuneration (TRR) at the end of the paid sick leave period. 

Staff who are members of the Single Pension Scheme  may be eligible after a period of 2 years. Absence in excess of 12 months in a four-year period will be unpaid unless a staff member qualifies for payment of TRR. Should be amended to: Employees who satisfy the eligibility criteria receive a flat rate of 37.5% of their salary. For those employees who qualify for Illness Benefit, the flat rate is inclusive of Illness Benefit. Normal procedures regarding application to the Department of Social Protection still apply. 

Transitionary Measure: As a transitionary measure, anyone whose rate of TRR would otherwise be higher than 37.5% will continue to receive the higher rate for a period of 5 years from the date of implementation. This arrangement will conclude on 3rd September, 2028. More details 

Absence in excess of 12 months in a four-year period will be unpaid unless a staff member qualifies for a payment of Temporary Rehabilitation Remuneration (TRR). A staff member who, having exhausted the maximum period of paid sick leave and does not qualify for TRR, is still medically unfit for work must notify the University (through their line manager or DCU People) of their intention to avail of a period of unpaid sick leave. This period of sick leave will not normally exceed the TRR limits outlined in the previous TRR question. A period of unpaid sick leave is granted subject to continued submission, on a regular basis, of acceptable medical certification to the University.

To be acceptable, a medical certificate must:

• State the name and address of the employee
• Clearly show the doctor’s name and address 
• Be signed and dated by a qualified medical practitioner registered with the Irish/UK Medical Council/Dental Council of Ireland. (In exceptional circumstances, medical certificates may be accepted from overseas medical practitioners, such as where an employee becomes ill abroad or is receiving a recognised medical treatment unavailable in Ireland.)
• State the likely duration of the illness
• Normally be for a week’s duration or less. (In the case of longer term illness, certificates may (with prior agreement) be submitted monthly.)

Staff who pay Class A rate of PRSI may be entitled to Social Welfare Benefit for absence due to illness in excess of 5 days. 

Staff who pay Class A* rate of PRSI may be entitled to Social Welfare benefit for absence due to illness in excess of five days. Since 1st January, 2024, Illness Benefit is paid from day 6 of the claim if you have not used any of your entitlement prior to this instance of illness. If you have used some of your entitlement prior to this instance of illness, you may receive payment from an earlier date.

To claim Social Welfare Illness/Injury Benefit

1. Attend your doctor, who will submit a Certificate of Incapacity for Work directly to the Department of Social Protection. 
2. Submit an online Illness Benefit application through MyWelfare.ie or post an IB1 Form (application form for Illness Benefit and Injury Benefit) to the department. (You can get the from your doctor) Once completed, post your form to Social Welfare Service, PO Box 1650, Dublin 1

Yes. For details on how taxation is applied contact the Finance Office or the DCU People. 

Sick leave occurring during a period of annual leave, if notified immediately, has the effect of cancelling authorised annual leave. Annual leave is not resumed until the staff member returns to work or provides evidence of fitness to return to work. A medical certificate is required where an employee wishes to commence annual leave immediately following an absence, or for any absences immediately following annual leave.

Uncertified sickness occurring during annual leave does not cancel authorised annual leave.

In line with the Working Time Act 1997, an employee’s entitlement to a full year’s annual leave is dependent upon them being in attendance at work for more than the statutory 1365 hours in a year.

The approval of DCU People must be sought prior to an employee travelling abroad while on sick leave. The Department will seek advice from the University’s Occupational Health Provider before deciding on the matter.

If a staff member is unfit for work due to a pregnancy related illness, and has exhausted sick leave at half pay, she will continue to receive sick leave at half pay for the duration of the pregnancy related illness, prior to going on maternity leave. If a staff member is unfit for work following maternity leave, her access to sick leave at half pay will be extended by the period of absence on sick leave on half pay.

The sick pay entitlement for eligible part-time staff is the same as for full-time staff, but calculated on a pro-rata basis.

For staff working irregular hours, the gross weekly sick pay is determined by the hours worked during the 4 months directly preceding the absence.

Example: If you work a total of 100 hours from March to June, your average weekly hours will be calculated as follows:

• 100 hours divided by 4 months = 25 hours for one month
• 25 hours x 12 months divided by 52.2 to get your weekly amount of 5.75 hours
• 5.75 hours x €8.65 (example of rate of pay) = €49.65

Special Leave with Pay is currently used in lieu of sick leave for Covid-19 to assist in the prevention of the possible onward spread of Covid-19 in the work premises.  

Circular 2/1976, which covers special leave with pay, only applies in lieu of sick leave for COVID-19 when an employee has had a positive test for COVID-19.

Special leave with pay may be available for up to 5 calendar days (weekends included).  Special leave with pay cannot be substituted for other forms of leave, for example, annual leave.

In order to avail of special leave with pay you must complete a declaration form which is available from sickleave@dcu.ie