Ireland** is soon to publish a guide to clarify how employers can handle requests from employees who wish to work from home.
The document, titled "Guidelines for the Operational Guidelines for Remote Work Request Rights," was prepared by the Workplace Relations Committee (WRC) and is currently awaiting approval from two departments and is expected to be released in the coming weeks.
Secretary of Enterprise and Employment Simon Coveney said in Congress that the development of the guide is in full swing and is expected to be completed in the coming weeks. He responded to criticism of the slow pace of the release, emphasizing that while the guide was urgently needed, he wanted to "do the best".
The guidelines were developed after the Work-Life Balance and Other Provisions Act, which came into effect last April, and has since been subject to a public consultation.
In response to criticism from Sinn Féin MP Louise O'Reilly for the delay in releasing the guidelines, Coveney denied a lack of urgency on the issue. He stated that a clear goal had been set for the WRC to report a code of practice to him by the end of January, and that the WRC had done so. Now they are considering it in its entirety and will complete this work as soon as possible.
O'Reilly noted that workplaces across the country are discussing changes in employment patterns, and employers, unions and employees are eagerly awaiting the release of this guide. Although the details of these proposals have previously been promised to be announced in January, it seems that more time will be needed to complete them for now.
Coveney explained that the draft of the guide was received only 10 days ago and is currently being tested for final approval and release.
He said it could take a few days and that good progress was being made on the issue and was moving towards more structure, permanence and recognition for flexible and remote work arrangements.
He also mentioned that the development of the guidelines was a challenging task, but based on what he knew, the guidelines did strike a balance and he believed that their release would be well received by employers, workers and workers' representatives.
As many workplaces gradually return to in-office work, a series of surveys show that companies with hybrid models are increasingly requiring employees to come to the office during the workday. A large number of companies that have made remote work the norm during the pandemic have also begun to require employees to return to the office full-time.
This guidance is intended to clearly define the basis for processing requests to continue working remotely and the requirements for employers to deny them.