Homeworking, flexible working…and working less?

One of the lasting global effects of the pandemic has been the adoption of remote and home working.

There are various considerations that employers need to bear in mind in relation to home-working including employee health and safety, how flexible working requests should be managed and issues relating to employees wanting to work remotely overseas. Employers also need to consider what impact a combination of office-based and remote working will have on their space planning, team management and culture.

With growing predictions about working less in the future and with the numbers of trials a four-day working week gaining momentum across the UK and Ireland, organisations need to continually respond and adapt to changing needs and demands of an evolving workforce.

We help employers navigate the legal aspects of flexible and remote working, any changes you may need to make to current policies and planning changes to working arrangements.

The Covid-19 pandemic caused many employees to ask if they could work from “home” from an overseas country. Several years on, it’s clear that the wish to work abroad – either on a temporary basis, or in some cases indefinitely – is part of a permanent sea change in working practices. Technology makes it possible – but this Inbrief explains the potential legal issues and how to avoid the traps. Technology makes it possible – but this Inbrief explains the potential legal issues and how to avoid the traps.

Hybrid working arrangements

26 October 2022

Following the widespread experience of employees working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic, some employers are starting to implement hybrid working arrangements on a longer-term basis.

Flexible working - the right to ask

08 April 2022

Employees seeking a better balance between the demands of work and personal life may seek a change in their working arrangements – for example, through part-time working, job-sharing or a change in working hours. While there is no right to insist on working in a different way, there is a statutory right to ask for a flexible working arrangement and to have that request seriously considered.

Coronavirus - FAQs for employers on working from home

11 March 2022

These FAQs look at an employer’s obligations towards staff working from home.

Is working less the way ahead? 4-day working week trials in the UK and Ireland

17 February 2022

Companies across the UK and Ireland are trialling a four-day working week measuring whether employees can operate at 100% productivity despite working for 20% less time and with no reduction in pay.

Ireland – Long-awaited insight into the right to request remote working

25 January 2022

Irish employers and employees have today been given some detail on how the long-awaited right to request remote working will operate. The legislation, once enacted, will introduce for the first time a legal framework in Ireland around requesting remote working arrangements.

We’re all going on a working holiday! Issues to consider when employees want to work abroad over the summer

20 May 2021

In the first of our new three-part series of articles looking at resourcing over the holiday season, we consider the position of employees seeking to extend their summer holiday by working remotely from their overseas holiday destination.