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The government has approved the integration of the Right to Request Remote Work for all workers into the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill which is expected to be delivered by the end of the year.
The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar, and the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, together agreed that amending the Work Life Balance Bill is the most efficient and practical way to introduce the right to request remote work to all workers.
Integrating the Right to Request Remote Work for all workers into the Work Life Balance Bill means that employers and employees will now be making and considering requests for flexible or remote working under one piece of legislation and one Code of Practice to be developed by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). This will streamline the process and will help avoid inconsistencies and confusion.
Under the new legislation employees will have a legal right to request remote working from their employer. In addition, employers will now be required to have regard to the Code of Practice when considering requests. The Code of Practice will be established on a statutory footing and, it is expected that this Code will include guidance to employers and employees on their obligations regarding compliance.
This new law on the Right to Request Remote Work adds to other workers’ rights that the government is introducing, which include Statutory Sick Pay, a new Public Holiday in February, the Tips Act and the move to a National Living Wage.
