On January 25, 2022, the Government of Ireland has introduced the Right to Request Remote Work Bill 2021 to provide employees with a statutory right to make, or to have made on their behalf, a request for Remote Working.
Key points:
- An employee shall be entitled to submit a request for remote working when the employee concerned has completed at least 26 weeks continuous service with the employer from whose employment the employee is seeking the arrangement to work remotely.
- An employee will not be able to submit constant requests and that where the employer has diligently completed the assessment process and any appeal has been heard that the employee will have to wait a period of 12 months to submit another request. It is not the intention that such a request would be prohibited where an employee has moved to a different role within the same employer.
- Provide a balanced mechanism by which eligible workers can request a remote working arrangement.
- An employer having consulted the employee and/or the trade union (if recognised by the employer) of which he or she is a member, return a decision indicating whether the request for remote working is wholly or partially approved or declined.
- An employer shall, having concluded their consideration of the request and having consulted the employee or the trade union (if recognised by the employer) of which he or she is a member, confirm in writing if they are agreeing to the request.