New law gives workers clarity on their choice of retirement age

The Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Act 2025 marks a significant shift in how employers manage retirement at work, says Joanne Hyde of law firm Lewis Silkin

Joanne Hyde, partner at law firm Lewis Silkin in  Dublin.

Employees have been given a greater degree of control over the decision as to whether they choose to work on for another year after their contractual retirement age.

For many workers currently approaching that decision, a new piece of recently introduced legislation means that they have greater clarity about their input into the decision around whether they retire at 65, as per their employment contract, or whether they stay on until 66 as per their current State pension age.