Irish Lives Abroad: How do jobs, leave, and other perks compare?

From maternity cover to paternity leave, from annual holidays to minimum wage, Joyce Fegan spoke with Irish people abroad to see how the jobs market in each of their adopted homes compares to Ireland.

Siun Creedon Prochazka with daughter Marketa and son Alvy.

We travel for work, move countries for jobs, change companies to get better benefits, and, in the right situation, a decent employer — alongside adequate workers' rights — can often be the difference between being happy or unhappy at work, regardless of the specific figure on your monthly paycheque.

In Ireland, our current minimum wage is €10.20 an hour, and the average annual earnings for all employees is just under €40,000, but about €45,000 for full-time employees.