Monday, 5th August 2013 is a Public Holiday - one of nine Public Holidays in Ireland. The others are New Year’s Day - St Patrick's Day - Easter Monday - First Monday in May - First Monday in June - Last Monday in October - Christmas Day - St Stephen's Day
Full-time workers have immediate entitlement to benefit for public holidays, and part-time workers have entitlement to benefit when they have worked 40 hours in the previous 5 weeks.
When a person works on a public holiday they are entitled to be paid for the day in accordance with their agreed rates. In addition they also have an entitlement to benefit for the public holiday. This can be different for each public holiday and each employee depending on the individual's work pattern.
If the business is closed on the public holiday and an employee would normally be due to work then they get their normal day's pay.
If the business is open and an employee works, he/she is entitled to either paid time off or an additional day's pay. The additional day's pay is what was paid for the normal daily hours last worked before the public holiday.
If an employee is not normally rostered to work, then they will be entitled to one fifth of their normal weekly wage extra.
If someone ceased to be employed during the weeks before a public holiday, having worked the four weeks preceeding that week, they are entitled to benefit in respect of that public holiday.
If a person is on temporary lay-off they are entitled to benefit for the public holidays that fall within the first thirteen weeks of lay-off.