Employers body Ibec has said that easing back on the phased return to the office is sensible but that businesses need to remain open so people can earn a living.
The director of Employer Relations at Ibec said the high rates of Covid-19 infection is an issue that is larger than the workplace and that employers support the Government in seeking to reduce the spread of infection.
Maeve McElwee said the issue is about maintaining some level of balance between keeping society open and protecting public health.
She said now that all business areas have re-opened they should remain open, adding that if they can operate remotely, they should do so.
The Government must support those sectors that cannot operate remotely, such as nightclubs, she added.
She said access to some levels of offices will be needed for some workers.
Earlier, the chief executive of Dublin Town said the country needs to move away from restrictions and closing down as a way to deal with Covid.
Richard Guiney said on RTÉ's Morning Ireland that simply taking office workers out of the environment is not good for hospitality or retail.
The vibrancy that retail and hospitality provide feeds back into attracting the kind of workers that other businesses need, he added.
Mr Guiney said the Government should be examining the roll-out of a booster vaccine programme to the general population.
He said that business owners in the city centre need to see footfall return to at least 85% of 2019 levels and this number was achieved last week - for the first time since the pandemic began.
Mr Guiney said this increase in footfall was reflective of the return of office workers to the workplace.
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