Government Rejects Calls To Introduce The Right To Work From Home

Tuesday, 25 January 2022 09:45

By Caoimhe Harney

Instead employees can request to work from home.

The Government has rejected calls to introduce a right to work from home, promising instead to legislate for a right for employees to request home-working.

Opposition politicians have called for a right to work remotely.

However, Tánaiste has said that while the Government’s proposed Bill would require employers to consider such requests, they would still be able to reject them.

He argued that employers are more likely to grant requests to work from home for fear of being brought to the Workplace Relations Commission, which will be the appeals mechanism in the new law.

Ministers are expected to approve new draft laws around remote working when they meet this morning.

Cabinet will consider a new bill which would give workers a legal right to request it.

It includes rules around making the request, and measures for resolving any potential disputes.

Dr Laura Bambrick from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, expects the laws to come into effect in the next six months:

Solicitor Richard Grogan spoke with Eoin Beatty on Tuesday's Kildare Focus he thinks the new law may pose problems:

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