SWY – Averaged deductions throughout the year.
How to Calculate:
Take your current yearly salary and divide by 365.25 then multiply by the number of days SWY you are taking remembering that each week is counted as 7 days this is the amount your salary will be reduced by for the year also any pro rata allowances will be worked out this way.
If you are working shorter hours you divide it by the full time weekly hours and multiply it by your weekly hours.
Example current yearly salary 37,000.00 /365.25 =101.3004 * 28 days (four weeks SWY) = €2,836.41 a year which is divided over 26 pay periods.
SWY will appear as Unpaid Leave on your pay slip.
If you have applied for special salary arrangements to be made then it will not be possible to withdraw or alter the application.
Shorter Working Year scheme
You can take up to 13 weeks unpaid leave each year under the Shorter Working Year scheme (SWY).
The leave cannot be for less than 2 weeks, or more than 13 weeks, at any time during the year.
Aim of the scheme
The scheme aims to give workers a better work-life balance.
Under the scheme, you can apply to take leave to balance work and outside commitments including childcare.
One of the benefits of the scheme is that parents may take leave at the same time as school holidays.
Amount of leave
Leave under this scheme is available as a period of 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 or 13 weeks. The leave may be taken as one continuous period, or as a maximum of 3 separate periods. Each period of leave must not be less than 2 weeks and not more than 13 weeks in total.
Payments under the scheme
Leave taken under this scheme is unpaid.
You can apply for special salary arrangements. This means you may get part of your salary even when you are on unpaid leave. Your salary is spread out over 12 months. You must apply for this in writing, and the signed-off application must be submitted to your local processing department before 31 October in the year before you intend to take your unpaid leave.
PRSI and other contributions
If you are on the Shorter Working Year scheme, you are not earning during the period of leave. This means that you are not making PRSI contributions during this time. You should contact the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection to clarify how this impacts you.
It is your responsibility to ensure any voluntary contributions normally deducted from your salary continue to be paid. For example health insurance or savings plans. This only applies if these deductions normally come from your salary.
Accepting your leave
If approved, you must accept the offer for leave within 5 working days. If you do not accept the offer, it may be given to another person.
If you make special salary arrangements you cannot change or cancel the dates of your leave.
How other leave entitlement is affected by the scheme
Sick leave
You cannot take sick leave while you are on leave under the Shorter Working Year scheme.
Annual leave and public holidays
You do not accrue annual leave while on leave under the scheme. Your annual leave entitlement will be adjusted.
You may be entitled to public holidays while on leave under the scheme. You must not have been absent for more than 13 weeks before the public holiday.
You may be entitled to one of the following:
- a paid day off within a month of the public holiday
- an additional day of annual leave
- an additional day’s pay
Annual leave entitlement
Annual leave is based on a 52 week working year.
If you take 2 weeks SWY leave, your working year becomes a 50 week working year.
If your normal annual leave entitlement is 28 days (based on 52 weeks), your reduced annual leave is calculated as:
- number of working weeks minus your two weeks SWY leave (50) multiplied by your contractual annual leave days entitlement (28 days)
- 50 X 28 = 1400
- divide your answer by 52 (number of weeks in full working year)
- 1400 / 52 = 26.92 / 27 days - following this calculation you are entitled to 27 days annual leave
Reckonable service
The leave you take under this scheme is reckonable for increments and seniority. It is not reckonable for pension purposes.
Shorter Working Year scheme (HR Circular) (PDF, 272KB, 7 pages)
How to apply
You must apply by 31 October in the year before you want to take the leave.
You will need to state how much leave you want to take and the dates of this leave.
Submit the shorter working year application form (PDF, 3 pages, 106KB) to your HR department.
Your manager may not be able to agree to all the leave that you are requesting.
They may have to refuse your request because:
- you have specialist or hard to replace skills
- you work in a location where your absence would be difficult to fill
- colleagues are also looking for leave under the scheme
- colleagues will be on reduced hours and other types of leave at the same time
If there are a number of applications, your manager may have to prioritise them.
Your manager may suggest staggering the leave. For example, you may be asked to only take some of your leave over the summer months.
Late applications
Your manager may approve a late application from you for a period of leave of up to 8 weeks.
You should submit your late application no later than 6 weeks before you take your leave.
Special salary arrangements are not available for late applications.
Related topics
Parent's leave
Parental leave
National HR Employee Helpdesk
Phone: 1800 444 925
Email: ask.hr@hse.ie
The helpdesk is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 12 noon