by HRHQ Editorial Team
Ireland has been ordered to pay €1.54 million to the European Commission after the EU Court of Justice ruled that the country failed to meet its obligations under the EU Work-Life Balance Directive. The directive, adopted in 2019, aims to support working parents and carers by granting rights to request flexible and remote working arrangements.
The deadline for transposing the directive into national law was August 2022, but Ireland only completed the process in March 2024—581 days late. Although the Work Life Balance Act had been enacted, the required code of practice was still pending, prompting the European Commission to take legal action in January 2024.
The Department of Children, Disability and Equality cited exceptional circumstances for the delay, including the diversion of resources to support Ukrainian refugees and the decision to expand the directive to include remote working rights. Despite these challenges, the EU court found Ireland in breach and imposed the minimum penalty allowed.
This fine underscores the importance of timely compliance with EU legislation and highlights the growing emphasis on flexible work rights across member states. Ireland must also cover its own legal costs and those incurred by the Commission.
