Cabinet has signed off on new legislation to give all workers the right to paid sick leave. The Government’s statutory sick pay scheme will be phased in over a four-year period

It will start with three days per year in 2022, rising to five days payable in 2023 and seven days payable in 2024. Employers will eventually cover the cost of 10 sick days per year in 2025.

Sick pay will be paid by employers at a rate of 70% of an employee’s wage, subject to a daily threshold of €110.

John Barry, HR and Employment Law Consultant, and former member of the ISME National Council and Brendan Ogle, senior officer at UNITE, joined Kieran to discuss.

Listen and subscribe to The Hard Shoulder on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.

Download, listen and subscribe on the Newstalk App.

You can also listen to Newstalk live on newstalk.com or on Alexa, by adding the Newstalk skill and asking: 'Alexa, play Newstalk'.