Employment
Key developments
ENHANCED CODE OF PRACTICE ON RIGHT TO REQUEST REMOTE WORKING TO BE DEVELOPED
Ministers for Small Business, Retail and Employment and for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment published the statutory review of Ireland’s remote work request provisions under the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023.
The key findings in the review of the legislation include that:
- there is a 94% approval rate for remote working requests,
- low administrative burdens are reported by employers across all sectors,
- there is low use and awareness of the legislation, particularly among those living in rural communities, and
- the legislation is functioning as intended, with no legislative amendments being proposed at this time.
Minister Dillon confirmed that he will request the Workplace Relations Commission to revise and strengthen the Code of Practice on the Right to Request Flexible Working and the Right to Request Remote Working to:
- provide clearer templates and guidance for employees applying for remote work,
- support employers to give comprehensive and transparent reasons for decisions,
- clarify the timelines set out in the legislation, and
- support more structured consultation between employers and employees when considering remote work options and promote use of Workplace Relations Commission mediation services.
A targeted National Information Campaign will also begin this year to ensure employees and employers understand the right to request remote work and how the process operates.
For more information, see here: Ministers Burke and Dillon Publish Statutory Review showing Remote Work Request Legislation is delivering.
