As the hot weather returns this week, tackling the climate emergency should be high on everyone’s agenda. But should employers give greater weight to the environment when deciding whether to say yes or no to an employee’s request to do their job remotely?

One of the legacies of the covid-19 pandemic is that remote working has become normal. Workers in the so-called knowledge economy are now commonly working remotely on a hybrid or fully remote basis, sometimes moving out of cities in search of a new lifestyle.

Employees are increasingly asking to work remotely from overseas locations, either for a few weeks at the end of a holiday or for a longer spell, perhaps even under a digital nomad visa. At the same time, environmental issues are becoming more important to businesses.

The need to address climate change by reducing our carbon emissions is urgent. Some employers are beginning to calculate their carbon emissions and, in time, more employers are expected to focus on slashing them.

What happens if these two trends – remote working and carbon reduction – start to compete with each other?

Carbon emissions

When deciding whether to grant an employee’s remote-working request, employers tend to focus mainly on feasibility: Will the request impact the employee’s performance? Can service levels be maintained? Does the employee have a suitable working space and facilities to work remotely? Will there be immigration, tax, employment law or social security issues if the employee...

Read Full Story: https://www.lewissilkin.com/en/insights/the-climate-emergency-the-missing-fac...