An employment law specialist said employers can refuse requests from members of staff to keep some remote working in place, but warned it will be difficult to do so.
Head of law firm Lewis Silkin's Dublin office, Síobhra Rush, said employers need to have conversations with staff members about how they want to work into the future.
It comes as offices can begin welcoming back workers from today as part of the major easing of Covid-19 restrictions which was announced on Friday.
Speaking over the weekend, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said the turn to the office will be done on a phased basis.
“We're saying to employers and employees to come together and work out an appropriate phased return to the workplace," he said.
"A lot of people have raised concerns” over the speed of Friday’s announcement and if a worker’s contract stipulates that they must work on-site they could be forced to do so, Ms Rush told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland programme.
“The work safety protocol that came in while the restrictions were on and the phased return to work was started over the last two years, does require consultation with employees… and we don’t know how that protocol will work after today because of the measures that are being removed.
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