Employers and employees should make remote and home working a much bigger part of working life after COVID-19, according to the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar TD. The Tánaistewas speaking at the launch of the #MakingRemoteWork campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the advice and information available from Government to help workers and employers facilitate more remote and blended working.
#MakingRemoteWork
The Tánaiste said:
“The pandemic has required many office-based workers to work from home. We know now that it can be done. But, at the moment, it’s not a choice. Many want to return to the office, many want to continue to work from home or a remote hub local to where they live. Most want a blend. After the pandemic, it should be about choice, so long as the work gets done and business and service needs are met. That’s the principle I want to apply. We need to make sure we do not drift back to the office and the old normal just because it’s safe to do so. We need to seize this opportunity to create a new normal, a better normal. So, I’m asking employers to consider how they can make remote working a more permanent feature of life after the pandemic. Whether it means keeping home working and remote working as an option, or a blended model of home and the office, or working from the office and remote working hubs, now is the time for employers to speak to staff about works best for them and the company as a whole.”
Earlier this year the Tánaiste published Ireland’s first National Remote Work Strategy.
The Tánaiste said:
“We have committed to bringing in new laws giving the right to request remote work. We have put in place a new Code of Practice on the Right to Disconnect. We are doing all we can to install high-speed broadband in all parts of Ireland as part of the National Broadband Plan. We are reviewing the treatment of remote working for tax and expenses in advance of the next Budget. And the government will lead by example by making home and remote working the norm for 20 percent of public sector employment.
“We have also published guidance for employers and workers and a Remote Working Checklist to help everyone adjust to the change.”
The campaign will run across print, broadcast and social media.
The Tánaiste concluded with:
“I encourage employers and workers to talk to each other and agree a more permanent arrangement that suits both, so that everyone is prepared once public health measures ease. I’d also love to hear about how people are making it work on social media. People can share their stories using #MakingRemoteWork.”
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