The plans would see employers told to guarantee a minimum number of paid sick days annually from 2022.
New legislation that would give all workers the right to paid sick leave is to be considered by Cabinet on Wednesday, according to the Irish Times.
According to
the paper, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar will bring proposals for the new legislation to Cabinet, with the Government estimating that around half of workers do not currently have such coverage.
Under the plans, employers would be told to guarantee a minimum number of paid sick days annually from next year.
While the legislation would provide a minimum level of protection to employees currently without entitlement to company sick pay schemes, it is believed it will also specify that employers can offer better terms.
Meanwhile, unions may also be able to negotiate for better schemes for workers.
That said, it will be a couple of years before a promised statutory sick pay regime is fully implemented as to give employers time to adjust to the changes.
The Irish Times reports that many workers without sick pay are employed in lower-paid roles, with Covid-19 now bringing an emphasis on terms and conditions for such employees.
