HSE Shorter Working Year: Rules, Deduction & Application

If you’re an HSE employee looking for more breathing room in your work year, the Shorter Working Year (SWY) scheme might be your answer, letting you take up to 13 weeks of unpaid leave each year as long as you plan ahead — applications must be in by 31 October. This guide walks through the rules, the financial impact, how to apply, and what’s changing in 2026.

Maximum unpaid leave per year: 13 weeks · Minimum consecutive leave period: 2 weeks · Scheme introduced: 2009 (Circular 14/2009) · Application form number: HR115 · Eligibility: HSE employees (permanent and some temporary)

Here are the core parameters of the HSE Shorter Working Year scheme at a glance:

What is the HSE shorter working year policy?

The Shorter Working Year scheme is a form of unpaid special leave available to HSE employees. It allows you to take up to 13 weeks off per year without pay, as long as the leave is taken in blocks of at least two consecutive weeks (HSE official scheme page). The purpose, as stated in HSE Circular 14/2009 (official regulatory document), is “to permit HSE employees to balance their working arrangements with outside commitments.”

How does the shorter working year scheme work?

• Leave may be taken as one continuous period or up to three separate periods (HSE HR115 form (v9)).
• Available durations: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, or 13 weeks (same source).
• You are not earning during the unpaid period and therefore not making PRSI contributions that week (HSE official scheme page).

The implication: SWY is designed as a pro-rata arrangement — your pay is reduced across the whole year, not just the weeks you take off.

Who is eligible for the HSE shorter working year?

• Permanent full-time staff, worksharers, and some part-time staff who are serving in the HSE (HSE Circular 14/2009).
• Eligibility for temporary staff is not universally guaranteed; check with HR (HSE official scheme page).

The catch: if you’re on a temporary contract, don’t assume eligibility — get written confirmation from HR National Personnel Administration.

What is the shorter working year deduction?

Your salary during a SWY is reduced proportionally — essentially, you’re unpaid for the weeks you’re off, but the reduction is calculated on a pro-rata annual basis.

How is the deduction calculated?

• If you take 13 weeks unpaid, your annual salary drops by 25% (13/52) (JobVacancies.ie summary of HSE scheme (third-party)).
• For shorter durations, the same fraction applies: e.g., 8 weeks = 8/52 reduction.
• Deductions are processed via payroll using the HR115 form (HSE HR115 form).

What is the pro rata formula?

The formula is straightforward: (weeks taken ÷ 52) × annual salary. The same ratio affects pension contributions — they are based on the reduced salary for the year (same third-party analysis).

The deduction is straightforward but reduces both take-home pay and long-term pension benefits.

What is the shorter working year scheme in Circular 14 2009?

Circular 14/2009 is the founding document that formalised the SWY scheme across the HSE. It replaced any informal local arrangements and set uniform rules.

Why was Circular 14/2009 introduced?

• To create a standard, transparent unpaid leave option for HSE staff (Circulars.gov.ie (official public service circulars)).
• To provide a written framework covering eligibility, application process, and terms.
• It is available as a PDF on circulars.gov.ie.

How does Circular 14/2009 define the scheme?

• Applications must generally be received by the Area HR Department by 30 November in the year prior to leave (same circular).
• Participants must confirm in writing that they wish to avail of the special leave without pay.
• The circular superseded earlier informal arrangements and created a single national policy.

What this means: if you’re applying for 2026 leave, the 30 November deadline from the original circular still applies for many HSE departments, unless your local HR has adopted the later 31 October date from the current HSE website.

What are the rules for shorter working year?

The scheme has strict operational rules. Here’s what you need to know about durations, annual leave, and public holidays.

What are the minimum and maximum leave periods?

• Minimum block: 2 weeks (HSE HR115 form (v9)).
• Maximum total: 13 weeks per year.
• Leave can be taken as one block or split into up to 3 blocks (same form).

Can you take annual leave before or after SWY?

• Yes, annual leave can be taken immediately after SWY if you have sufficient entitlement remaining (HSE official scheme page).
• Annual leave accrual continues at a reduced rate during the unpaid period — your HR should confirm the figures.

What happens to bank holidays during SWY?

• Bank holidays that fall within an unpaid SWY period are generally not paid (HSE official scheme page).
• If a bank holiday falls outside the SWY block, normal rules apply.

Understanding these rules helps avoid unexpected losses in pay and leave.

Can you take annual leave straight after a shorter working year?

Yes — but only if you still have annual leave entitlement left after the reduced accrual during the unpaid period.

Does SWY affect annual leave accrual?

• Annual leave accrues based on your effective working time. During unpaid weeks, you accrue at a lower rate, so your total entitlement for the year is reduced (HSE official scheme page).
• Your HR department should run the specific calculation.

How to plan annual leave around SWY?

• Submit a separate annual leave request after SWY, referencing remaining entitlement.
• Use the HR115 form to record both SWY and any subsequent annual leave to avoid confusion.

The pattern: SWY reduces your annual leave bank, but doesn’t block you from using what remains.

Scheme specification table

Six parameters summarise the full SWY framework:

The table above consolidates all key parameters for quick reference.

Upsides and downsides

Weighing these factors helps decide if SWY fits your personal and financial situation.

How to apply for the HSE Shorter Working Year scheme

Follow these steps to submit a successful application:

1. Check eligibility — Confirm you are a permanent HSE employee (or meet temporary staff criteria).
2. Download form HR115 from the HSE staff leave portal (HSE HR115 form (v9)).
3. Decide your leave period — Choose between 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, or 13 weeks. If splitting into multiple blocks, each must be ≥2 weeks.
4. Get approval from your line manager — The form requires your manager’s sign-off.
5. Submit to HR — Send the completed, signed form to HR National Personnel Administration or your local HR department before 31 October (or the 30 November deadline used by some departments) (HSE official scheme page).
6. Receive confirmation — HR will process the deduction and confirm the pro rata salary adjustment.

The key window: for 2026 leave, submit by 31 October 2025. If applying for less than 10 weeks off-pay, the NSSO requires at least 6 weeks’ notice (NSSO).

Timeline of the Shorter Working Year scheme

• 2009 — HSE Circular 14/2009 introduces the SWY scheme for HSE staff (Circulars.gov.ie).
• 2019 — Updated HR115 form version 9 published (current as of 2025) (HSE HR115 form (v9)).
• 2024 — NSSO issues 2024 scheme notice with 6 October 2023 deadline for pro-rata applications (NSSO).
• 2026 — Scheme expected to continue under existing terms; no major changes announced.

The scheme remains stable, with no major changes expected for 2026.

What we know and what remains unclear

Based on the latest official sources, here’s what’s confirmed and what still needs clarification.

Employees should proceed with the confidence of official sources while consulting HR for personal circumstances.

Perspectives from official sources

“The Shorter Working Year Scheme is to permit HSE employees to balance their working arrangements with outside commitments.”

— HSE Circular 14/2009, available at Circulars.gov.ie (official public service circulars)

“You must take at least 2 weeks leave at a time under the SWY scheme.”

— HSE website, HSE (official scheme page)

These quotes from authoritative sources reinforce the scheme’s official standing.

Summary

The HSE Shorter Working Year scheme is a genuine flexibility tool, but it comes with financial trade-offs: reduced pay, lower pension contributions, and lost public holiday pay. For any HSE employee considering it, the choice is clear — apply before the October deadline with a full understanding of the pro rata deduction, or miss the window and wait another year.

Employees considering the shorter working year should first ensure their payroll records are accurate by visiting the My View HSE Payslips portal.

Frequently asked questions