Leave of Absence
An authorised period away from work, paid or unpaid, outside normal holiday entitlement.
A leave of absence is an agreed period during which an employee is permitted to be away from work while their employment continues. It sits outside ordinary annual leave and may be granted for reasons such as study, caring responsibilities, bereavement, jury service or personal circumstances.
Some forms of leave are statutory in Ireland — including force majeure leave for urgent family reasons and, more recently, leave for medical care and for victims of domestic violence — while other, discretionary leave is a matter of employer policy. Whether it is paid varies accordingly.
A clear leave-of-absence policy sets out eligibility, notice, duration, pay, the effect on benefits and service, and arrangements for return. This keeps decisions consistent and fair and helps managers respond to requests with confidence.
