The Covid pandemic led to a reimagining of the concept of work.
Forced to stay at home, employees and businesses quickly realised that tasks they had always performed in-person or on-site could be done remotely.
Staff who sat in traffic and sat at a desk in an office building all their working lives saw that they could carry out their jobs from their kitchen tables, spare bedrooms or local remote working hubs.
As the final Covid restrictions were lifted in early 2022, some businesses decided it was time to return to the office but many workers were reluctant to do so.
Remote Working
In early 2022, the then Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise Leo Varadkar announced the draft details of the "Right to Request Remote Working Bill'.
The legislation was designed to give employees the right to request remote working.
It also provided for 13 specific grounds upon which an employer could refuse a request and this proved to be controversial.
Unions said the bill was stacked in favour of the employer when it came to grounds for refusal and grounds for appeal.
Employers questioned the need for the legislation and warned that it may result in additional administrative burdens for businesses.
In November, the Government announced that rather than passing a separate piece of legislation, the law would be included in the 'Work Life Balance' Bill.
It means that employers and employees will now be making and considering requests for flexible or remote working under one law and one code of...
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