The Protection of Employees (Fixed-Term Work) Act 2003 gives protection to fixed-term employees. An employee is deemed a fixed-term employee where the end of a contract is determined by:

  • The arrival of a specific date; or
  • The completion of a specific task; or
  • The occurrence of a specific event (e.g. a worker returning from maternity leave where cover was given by a fixed-term employee)

 

In general the Act applies to any fixed-term employee:

  • Working under a contract of employment or apprenticeship
  • Holding office under, or in the service of, the State
  • Agency workers employed directly by an employment agency

 

The Act does not apply to:

  • Agency workers placed by an employment agency at the disposition of a user enterprise
  • Apprentices
  • A member of the Defence Forces
  • Trainee garda or a trainee nurse
  • Employees in initial vocational training or in apprenticeship schemes nor employees with a contract of employment concluded within the framework of a publicly-supported training, integration or vocational retraining programme.