The Government has announced a public consultation seeking the views of members of the public, employers and other interested parties on the right to request remote working.
The rules, which came into force in March 2024, require employers and employees to have regard to a Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) code of practice when considering applications for remote working arrangements.
Employees can refer a dispute to the WRC if they believe an employer has failed to fulfil their obligations under the code.
The legislation does not provide a direct right to work remotely but rather sets out requirements including how a request must be made, considerations both the employer and employee must take into account, and timelines for requests to be processed.
The code of practice was developed by the WRC, in consultation with trade unions and employer representative bodies.
The right to request remote work was introduced in 2024
Since the right to request remote work was introduced in March 2024, the WRC has received 60 complaints and 36 of these have been closed.
So far just one complaint has been upheld, 11 have been rejected, 5 were resolved through mediation and 19 were withdrawn.
The remaining 24 complaints are awaiting a hearing and/or decision by an Adjudication Officer.
Under the legislation, a review of the operation of the remote working provisions must be carried out not earlier than one year and not later than two years following its introduction.
Public consultation on effectiveness of legislation
As part of this review, Minister of State for Small Business Retail and Circular Economy, Alan Dillon has launched a public consultation to gather views on the effectiveness of the legislation.
"This is an important opportunity to hear directly from members of the public, employers and other stakeholders about how the legislation is operating in practice, whether it is clear and accessible, and whether it has presented any challenges or unintended consequences," Mr Dillon said.
"Remote work plays a vital role in broadening access to the labour market, reducing commuting times, and allowing people to spend more time with their families."
"Ensuring that the legislation underpinning the right to request remote work is effective and responsive is key to supporting these benefits," he added.
The public consultation can be accessed on the Department of Enterprise website and submissions can be made until 9 December.
