Breaks in employment
There are a number of reasons why you may take a break from employment during your career. Your entitlements to pension during these breaks in service depend on the nature of the break and the terms of your pension arrangement.
Many people take career breaks - time out of the workforce, perhaps to raise a family or care for a relative.
Parents will also have a requirement for leave when their children are born, adopted or growing up.
Generally it is only when such a situation arises that you will need to consider the options.
Check out the information relevant to the type of leave you are taking and be sure to ask your employer about any pension options that you may have.
Many people who have given up work, for example to raise a family, re-enter the workforce in later years and join a pension scheme at that stage...
Under the Maternity Protection Acts, you may be entitled to statutory minimum maternity leave of 26 weeks with an additional 16 weeks unpaid...
Under the Adoptive Leave Acts you may be entitled to 24 weeks adoptive leave, with an additional 16 weeks unpaid if you are adopting a child...
The Parental Leave Acts may entitle an employee to 26 weeks unpaid leave to care for a child under the age of 12 years ...
The Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 entitles each parent to seven weeks’ leave during the first two years of a child’s life (or within two years of first placement in the case of adoption)...
The Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016 entitles a new parent (employed or self-employed) to two weeks paternity leave within the first six months after a birth (or within six months of first placement in the case of adoption)...
The Carer’s Leave Act 2001, entitles an employee to avail of unpaid leave to provide full-time care and attention for a person who is in need of such care...