The directive allows statutory rights in respect of annual leave and weekly rest.
Members of the Defence Forces will now come under the Working Time Directive for the first time.
It means soldiers and others will now have statutory rights in respect of daily breaks, weekly rest, maximum working times and annual leave.
Ireland had originally excluded the Defence Forces due to the specific nature of their line of work.
The move to remove the exception has been welcomed by representative group RACO.
General Secretary Lt Col Conor King, from Athlone, says this will help with the recruitment and retention crisis currently plaguing the Forces:
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