Auto-enrolment will enter Irish workplaces on 1st January, 2026. There’s no two ways about it, with Social Protection Minister Dara Calleary issuing a warning to businesses that there’ll be no more “false dawns.” Preparing for auto-enrolment needs to be at the top of the to-do list. Here are three things employers can do in September to get ready for the pension scheme while alleviating the pressure for the rest of an already-busy Q4.

In this blog

Auto-enrolment in Ireland recap
3 things to do ahead of Q4
Conclusion and key takeaways

Auto-enrolment in Ireland recap

While the dates have shifted somewhat, the auto-enrolment pension scheme, known as My Future Fund, will launch on 1st January, 2026 without fail. The impetus behind the scheme is to encourage workers aged between 23 and 60 to save and invest for the future, if they aren’t already paying into a pension. You can find further information at Citizen’s Information and the Department of Social Protection’s guide, news page, and YouTube channel.

3 things to do in September

To help ease the burden in Q4, employers can prepare for auto-enrolment by prioritizing three things in September’s to-do list:

1. Talk to your people

As with any big change, it’s only fair to inform people about what lies ahead. It’s important to tell your employees what pension auto-enrolment will involve and how they’ll be impacted. You could hold information sessions or share useful resources. For example, there’s plenty of detail in our regular updates, blogs, research, and on-demand webinars.

2. Look at your employment contracts

Your employment contracts must now make provision for pension contributions and comply with the new legislation. So, you should examine your contracts to see if you need to make any changes to them. You can collaborate with your legal and HR teams to ensure that any changes are properly implemented and communicated to your employees. 

3. Speak with your payroll and pension providers

You should contact your existing payroll provider to see how they plan to ensure compliance with the auto-enrolment scheme and how they might support you in managing the auto-enrolment process. You’ll need to check that your payroll solution can calculate, deduct, and remit contributions to the National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority (NAERSA) from your employees’ net income after income tax, PRSI, and the Universal Social Charge (USC). The solution should also be able to record employee contribution levels accurately. 

You can get advice from your current pension provider about membership options, and they should also be able to offer valuable insights and assistance in ensuring that your organisation is fully prepared for the changes.

Conclusion: Put auto-enrolment at the top of your to-do list

There are three things you can do in September to make life that much easier in Q4 as you prepare for the reality of auto-enrolment on 1st January – talk to your employees; look at your employment contracts; and speak with your payroll and pension providers.

With a wealth of pension experience and expertise, Zellis has put the systems in place to help you effectively and efficiently manage the transition to auto-enrolment in Ireland.

Key takeaways

  • The auto-enrolment pension scheme, known as My Future Fund, will launch on 1st January, 2026 without fail.
  • The scheme encourages workers aged between 23 and 60 to save and invest for the future, if they aren’t already paying into a pension.
  • Employers can prioritize three things in September’s to-do list to ease the pressure for the rest of Q4.
  • The first thing is to explain to your people how pension auto-enrolment will affect them.
  • The second thing is to ensure that your employment contracts provide for pension contributions and comply with legislation, and change them with the help of your legal and HR teams if not. 
  • The third thing is to see how your existing payroll provider plans to ensure compliance with auto-enrolment and how they might support you in managing the process overall. You’ll also need to check that your payroll solution can make the relevant calculations and contributions to NAERSA from your employees’ net income as well as accurately recording contribution levels.

Download our quick guide to auto-enrolment

Get a sense of the who, what, when, and where of the auto-enrolment pension scheme in our useful infographic.

Download here