The Government has published a new strategy to facilitate employees requesting remote working arrangements in parallel a right to disconnect. It is intended to introduce legislation in September 2021.
Under the strategy employees will be entitled to apply to their employer for remote working arrangements. While an employee will not automatically be entitled to remote working arrangements the employer will be obliged to provide reasons as to why the request cannot be facilitated. A dissatisfied employee will have the right to appeal any refusal for remote working arrangements to the Workplace Relations Commission.
The Government in parallel will introduce protections for employees to “disconnect” from emails and phones during switch-off time. The right to disconnect will be underpinned by a legally enforcement Statutory Code of Conduct that employers will be required to follow.
The Government strategy seeks to facilitate increased levels of remote working while mitigating any negative impacts.
The Government is now engaging with all stakeholders prior to introducing the legislation and is separately reviewing the treatment of remote working for tax purposes.
For more on this topic, please contact David Pearson, Partner and Head of Employment Law at J.W. O’Donovan LLP by email at dpearson@jwod.ie.
15 January 2021