New employment policy is being introduced in Ireland to protect those who work from home and those who work remotely

DUBLIN: The government is preparing to introduce new tax and expenditure measures focusing on those who work from home. The new work culture is part of the government’s policy to facilitate remote working. Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has unveiled a new government policy to be announced next month.

The government has prepared for a new labour policy through the Working from Home (COVID-19) Bill, proposed by the Labour Party.

It is generally believed that the technology style of working from home will provide more leisure time. But the opposite is happening. Big tech companies don’t have fixed working hours and they treat employees like slaves. The Tánaiste said that the new employment strategy is being formulated to bring in change in all this.

During the debate on the bill, Labour’s Brendan Howlin said a kind of tyranny is going on at work from home. Labour’s Working from Home (COVID-19) Bill provides for the regulation of overtime and the elimination of disciplinary action for failure to respond to overtime communications.

The bill also requires an employer to pay employees for work-related equipment and pay for the cost of working from home, including additional charges such as electricity charges, home heating and broadband.

Tánaiste said that a radical change is coming

Leo Varadkar said the government wants remote working, homeworking and blended working to become part of the new normal based primarily on preference. Mr. Varadkar pointed out that there are many benefits to working from home. “If done right the benefits will be significant in reduced business costs, better work-life balance, more balanced regional development, less traffic, fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and time saved on the commute been used for a better purpose,” he said.

However, Varadkar said surveys indicate that about 10% or 20% of employees want to return to office as soon as possible. Another 10% to 20% want to work regularly from home. At the same time, the majority of employees want blended working. They want to work a few days in the office, a few days at home and a few days in a remote center. The Tánaiste said the government wants to promote this.

He added that a remote working strategy would be published before the end of the year. The bill will include networks of digital hubs across the country, taxation to facilitate remote work, cost adjustment, guarantee of benefits and the right to work remotely. There are also problems with having to work overtime at home. Varadkar said the new bill would address all these issues.

Ireland and Working Time Act

Ireland has comprehensive labour legislation, including the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, which sets the maximum working hours and the minimum rest period for employees. Employers have a responsibility to ensure that employees take regular rest breaks and do not work overtime.

He said his office was examining the law in light of its inadequacies in the law. It gives workers the legal standing to avoid work emails outside working hours, which was started under Heather Humphreys, a former business minister and current social protection minister. This was in response to a law introduced in France in 2017. Italy, Spain and Belgium have all implemented this law.

Mr. Varadkar said there was a need to reduce the influx of digital devices related to work after work hours to balance the official and personal lives of workers.