Irish workers will be entitled to mandatory sick pay for the first time under new laws.
The cabinet's approved a bill which gives employees the right to take 3 sick days by the end of the year.
That will rise to 5 next year, 7 the following year and 10 by 2026.
It'll be paid at a rate of 70 per cent of a worker's wage to a maximum of €110 a day.
Making the announcement, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said "No employee should feel that they have to come to work when they're sick for fear of having no income."H
He said there's a number of other reasons behind the move, including to improve public health and match the standard in other European countries.
"We also want toe want to reduce inequality between public and private sectors.
Almost all public sector workers already having sick pay and most private sector workers do not."
