Striking The Balance? Significant Step For Work Life Balance

Last week, the much anticipated Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022 (the "Bill") was passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas and is with the President to be signed into law. A commencement order will then be required to bring the provisions of the Bill into operation and this is expected to be prioritised in the first half of this year.

This legislation introduces a statutory right for employees in Ireland to request remote working arrangements. However, where the majority of employers have already implemented hybrid working policies to cater for the return to work post-pandemic, the reality in practice may be that few employees will need to rely on this statutory basis. While the Bill may, therefore, be lagging behind the market, its provisions (and those of the awaited Code of Practice to supplement the Bill) will no doubt be welcomed by employers looking to put a more consolidated shape on their approach to hybrid working.