7 minute read
The right to remote work
Remote working the wish of Irish employees
The Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns changed the way of working for a generation of Irish workers. Whilst previously working in an office everyday was a matter of routine, remote working was seen to be a key means of bridging the gap many workers feel existed in work-life balance.
Leo Varadkar TD, in his role as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, stated his ambition in the foreword of the National Remote Working Strategy, which was “mandating that home and remote work should be the norm for 20 per cent of public sector employment”, in addition to legislating that workers should “have a right to request” remote working.
The strategy, which was launched amid the popularity of remote working through the pandemic, reported that 94 per cent of workers in Ireland who engaged in the process were interested in having a right to remote working.
The Right to Request Remote Work Bill 2021 is the subsequent legislation which has emerged with the aim of ensuring that remote working is more accessible for employees. It is, however, slanted towards ensuring that the interests of employers are protected, and that employees are not automatically entitled to remote working, rather merely guaranteeing a right to request.
The Bill includes one of the provisions for rejection as “burden of additional costs, taking into account the financial and other costs entailed and the scale and financial resources of the employer’s business”. to the employee’s request within 12 weeks, and is given a number of acceptable reasons for which an employer can refuse remote work, including that remote work could have a “potential negative impact on quality of business product or service”.
Additionally, the employee is only able to prevail of the right to request remote work when they have completed half a year of continuous employment with their company.
There are a number of measures in the Bill which are designed to protect existing rights for employees and to prevent victimisation. The first of these is a measure stipulating that an employee, in the event of their remote working request being rejected, cannot be penalised by their employer for requesting remote work.
The second is ensuring that there is no preferential treatment with remote work, and that there is a standardised approach to remote working in workplaces, and that there is a single policy which covers workers. The current proposal outlined in the Bill is to fine employers who do not publish their remote working policy to the tune of €2,500.
Head 6 (Minimum service levels to submit request): Employee must have completed 26 weeks of continuous employment before availing of right to request remote work
Head 12 (Declining a request for remote working): Employer can deny remote work request if it “is not suitable on business grounds”.
Head 14 (Requirement for employers to have a formal remote working policy): Requires employers to adopt a formal company policy on remote working, can be fined up to €2,500 if not done.
Head 15 (Protection of employees from penalisation): Protects an employee for proposing to exercise or having exercised their entitlement to request remote working.
REGIONAL FOCUS: LIMERICK COUNTY COUNCIL REGIONAL FOCUS: GALWAY CITY COUNCIL
Galway City: The beating heart of the west
Galway is the only city and the principal growth centre in the Northern and Western Regional Assembly. The city is a key driver of economic development and competitiveness on the Atlantic Economic Corridor, making a significant contribution to the region’s GDP.
The city is also a major economic force in the Irish economy, leading in foreign and indigenous commercial investment, higher educational institutional achievement, workforce skills, and enjoying a rich cultural and heritage environment.
In recent decades, due to the high quality of life found here, the city has also become one of the most popular locations in Ireland in which to live, work, invest, or visit. This is a city of communities that are well connected, integrated, and inclusive.
Galway has been Ireland’s most rapidly developing urban area for half a century. Galway City will grow its population by 40,000 by 2040. This journey has begun. It will be achieved through a combination of organic population growth, retention of graduates, and attraction of new citizens.
It will require significant investment in infrastructure across the entire spectrum. To make this growth sustainable and carbon neutral is a priority. It will need comparable employment growth during this period to make it viable. The skillset of the city’s labour force will also need to evolve over this period.
The city relishes this opportunity. It has successfully embraced such growth rates in the recent past while retaining the features that make this place in the world so attractive and unique. It is a centre of learning, a Capital of Culture, an innovation hub, and an affordable and safe community. This placemaking to date has been successfully facilitated by the various stakeholders in the city through collaborative relationships and this continued collaboration will be essential to ensure that our vision for growth is achieved.
The city is located at a pivotal point on the Atlantic Economic Corridor. This is a multilingual city with a diverse but integrated society that is open and welcoming. It has a successful innovation ecosystem that is recognised as a sought-after location for international businesses and start-up enterprises. This is supported by a creative culture that permeates all business sectors.
Galway is located in one of the most scenic parts of the world, at the heart of the Wild Atlantic Way and contiguous to a UNESCO Geopark site. The city’s surrounding hinterland is diverse, engaging, entrancing, and healthy.
The next phases of Galway city’s growth must be more sustainable. The city will decarbonise its future growth. International trends and national policy are directing that the future growth of the city is biased towards the urban core. Galway city is already witnessing that direction of private and public investment towards the development of commercial and residential property at the city’s core to cater for the changing demands.
The city’s transport policy is also
facilitating a behavioural change from private vehicles to public transport and non-vehicular transport. Investment is being channelled to projects to accelerate this modal shift. Public transport corridors through the core of the city are being developed to link residential, learning, and employment hubs in the city in tandem with the development of city greenways and blueways.
Galway city will increase its population by at least 50 per cent by 2040. This will involve:
• creating 16,500 residential units; • creating an additional 18,500 jobs for citizens of the city; • providing an additional 7,000 third level student places; • creating the capacity to handle an additional 2.7 million visitors per annum; • providing commercial office space of 150,000 sq metres; and • Increasing commercial retail space.
W: www.galwaycity.ie
Growth in a sustainable manner - key enabling infrastructure will be put in place which includes:
• increased rail capacity at Ceannt Station and double tracking of rail connectivity between the city core and national rail network; • increased rail platforms servicing the east of the city; • increased water and waste treatment capacity; • public transport corridors through the core of the city; • greenways and blueways through the core of the city linking to national greenway routes; • full development of infrastructure in the Galway
Transportation Strategy; • the Galway City Outer Bypass; • further development of University of Galway campus; • further development of ATU campus in Galway city; • investment in the public realm; • investment in energy networks city wide fibre-based communication networks; • recreational and green space; • cultural infrastructure; • educational infrastructure; and • health infrastructure. Completed, current and pre-approved city projects:
Cluain Mhuire Creative Hub; SCCUL Enterprise Hub; ATU Innovation Hub; Bonham Quay development; Crown Square development; Sandy Road Quarter; Galway Inner Dock Masterplan; Ceannt Quarter development; Dyke Road Masterplan; Development of Ardaun Corridor; Galway Port expansion; Galway Technology Centre; Portershed Innovation District - Phases I and II; Nun’s Island Riverside Campus; Galway Transportation Strategy; University of Galway Library; and GCC Housing Capital Programme. Advertorial
