Many Irish employees are likely to see the right to request flexible working arrangements become a reality in 2022.
The EU directive on work-life balance must be implemented or brought into law in Ireland by the government by October 2022. It will mean that employees who also play a caring role, such as parents or carers, will have the right to “request” flexible working arrangements. “Flexible working arrangements” is broader than just remote working and includes flexible working schedules and a reduction in working hours. The duration of the flexible working arrangements requested and the employers’ resources and operational capacity to offer such arrangements can be taken into consideration when considering such requests.
It should be noted that the directive, when implemented, will only give the employee the right to request flexible working, but it does not mean that an employer must grant the flexible leave requested.
We will provide further blog posts as the guidance develops.
