6th May 2025
The INTO today welcomes the publication of Circular 0013/2025, which provides occupational injury leave for registered teachers if they are medically unfit to work following an accident in the workplace.
An occupational injury leave scheme has been long sought by the INTO for our members particularly through resolutions from Annual Congress in 2021 and 2022. In the intervening years extensive engagement took place through the Teachers’ Conciliation Council which included an adjudication hearing for the introduction of such a scheme. In the eighteen months since that successful adjudication in October 2023, the INTO has had considerable engagement with the Department of Education and Youth regarding the terms and conditions of this leave scheme.
Key provisions of the scheme
- Occupational Injury Leave may be available to a teacher who is medically unfit to work as a result of a physical injury sustained in the course of their duties including approved school activities.
- An application for Occupational Injury Leave must be made as soon as possible, and at least within seven days of the injury occurring, using the form at Appendix A of Circular 0013/2025.
- The ordinary terms of the Sick Leave Scheme will apply to the teacher’s absence until an application for Occupational Injury Leave has been received and approved by the employer.
- A teacher who has been approved to take Occupational Injury Leave will have access to up to 92 days of fully paid Occupational Injury Leave, in a rolling four-year period. In exceptional circumstances – such as hospitalisation, or a subsequent occupational injury arising within the rolling four-year period – this may be extended by a further 91 days in a rolling four-year period, subject to the approval of the employer.
Members should refer to Circular 0013/2025 for full details of the leave, and FAQs in respect of the Occupational Injury Leave Scheme will be added to the INTO Leave Estimator in the coming days.