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Dear colleagues,
Applications for Shorter Working Year (SWY) under the 2023 scheme can be submitted from August 2022. A follow up alert will issue in the coming weeks confirming the opening and closing dates for these applications.
In advance of the opening for 2023 applications, please note the below points:
- All SWY Pro Rata must be applied for during the application period.
- All 13 week and 10 week SWY Off Pay must be applied for during the application period
- If you intend to take 2 or 3 instances of SWY that add up to 12 weeks, this must also be applied for during the application period.
SWY Off Pay in durations of 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks may be applied for throughout the year with 6 weeks’ notice.
Each Department has internal guidelines outlining what can and cannot be facilitated. Please contact your manager/HR for details on the policy specific to your Department.
Most SWY applications submitted through the self-service e-forms will be processed automatically. In these situations you will not receive an email with a case ID for your application, instead;
- You will receive a confirmation email once your e-form is approved by your line manager.
- The SWY will be added to your leave records.
- Your annual leave will be auto-calculated and updated.
Your application will not be automatically processed if;
- There is a future dated row on your HR record (for example, an upcoming retirement).
- There is another recorded absence that overlaps with the dates of SWY selected.
- An annual leave amendment has been manually applied in the applicable year.
In these situations you will receive an email with your case ID. The case will then be processed manually. Your SWY will not be confirmed until you receive a confirmation email.
The salary deductions for your SWY pro-rata will be based off the salary you receive in the first pay run of the year. If you take any unpaid leave or do overtime during this period it will affect your deductions.
To work out what your deductions might be please see the Frequently Asked Questions on our Payroll Services website at https://pssc.gov.ie/faqs
To estimate the number of annual leave days you will have if you take SWY, please use our formula
[number of days worked including weekends] x [work pattern] x [full annual leave entitlement excluding carry over] / [number of days in the leave year]
Example: A person who works 4 days per week, with a full entitlement of 26 days, who takes 4 weeks of SWY in 2023:
Number of days in the full leave year (365 standard or 366 leap) minus the number of days SWY: 365 – 28 = 337
Work pattern: 0.8
Full annual leave entitlement excluding carry over: 26 days
Number of days in the leave year: 365
337 x 0.8 x 26 / 365 = 19.204, rounded up to 19.5 days
For more information on SWY and our comprehensive FAQ’s please visit: http://peoplepoint.gov.ie/hr-for-employees-managers/leave-management/shorter-working-year/
For all enquires about SWY please email SWY@nsso.gov.ie
Kind regards,
Leave Management
National Shared Services Office
