Yesterday, the details of new law giving workers the right to request remote working is published by the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar.

The Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said that: "This new law will give every employee the right to request remote working from their employer. Employers will be required to provide reasonable grounds for refusing to facilitate an employees’ request. These grounds are set out in the legislation, and we will develop Codes of Practice to provide guidance to help employers implement the new law. Leo Varadkar also added, “It will give employers and workers legal clarity on remote working, which became the default for many during the pandemic.”

The new law states that employees have the right to request a remote or hybrid working structure once they have worked for their employer for a period of six months. However, an employer is free to offer remote work from day one if desired. The employer also has a right to refuse remote working following 13 reasons set out by the Government.

The published draft document can be found here: