Since first published in January 2022, there has been some controversy relating to the Right to Request Remote Working Bill, and in particular the 13 reasons for Employers to refuse an Employee’s request for remote working.
It had been argued by Unions and employee representative groups that these were stacked in favour of Employers, while the Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment stated they were “cumbersome and require change”.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, the Minister for Enterprise, indicated last week that the legislation was being significantly reworked.
While not finalised yet – it is expected that under the new proposals, Employers would have fewer reasons for refusing an Employee’s Remote Working Request.
It is also expected that the legislation will have a more meaningful Appeals Process via the Workplace Relations Commission.
Varadkar noted that since the details of the Right to Request Remote Working Bill were published in January, there have been a number of revisions that “depart quite far from the original heads”.
The new legislation was originally intended to be agreed before the Dáil Summer recess and enacted soon thereafter.
Varadkar has now noted the intention for the legislation to be published before 15th December, the date when he is to resume the role of An Taoiseach.