The government`s national strategy on remote work is helping to make remote work a permanent option in Ireland. It is planned to give workers the legal right to request telework and to introduce a code of conduct on the right to separation. The new Code of Practice on the Right to Disconnect (pdf) came into effect on April 1, 2021 – more on this below. According to the Data Protection Commission, if an employee/contractor is allowed to access an employer`s network remotely, this access leads to a potential vulnerability of the system. Therefore, the need for such access should be properly assessed and security measures reassessed before remote access is granted. The Data Protection Commission has published guidelines on this subject in its Data Protection Guide. Given the gradual return to work, the government urged employers to begin developing or concluding their long-term agreements for blended or remote work, in consultation with their employees. Enterprise Ireland has also produced tips on how to manage remote work and keep employees motivated and engaged when working remotely. With the widespread adoption of remote work, the number of people performing video conferencing and video calls has increased significantly. The Data Protection Commission has published a series of videoconferencing tips for organisations and individuals on how to use these technologies securely and ensure an adequate level of data protection. If your employer provides you with the equipment you need for your work, such as a computer or printer, and you use it primarily for work, this is not considered an in-kind benefit.

This means you don`t have to pay taxes to get the equipment from your employer. There is currently no specific legislation dealing with the right to privacy at work. According to the WRC, data protection laws and GDPR regulations regarding an employee`s privacy must be adhered to when working remotely. Guidance on the application of these laws is linked in the next section on data protection. The WRC also points out that an employee`s right to privacy is balanced against the employer`s rights to protect the company, its reputation, resources and equipment. If you work from home, you have a responsibility to take care of yourself and others who may be affected by your work. Employers are required by law to keep records of hours worked in accordance with the Working Time Organization Act 1997. Employers must ensure that their employees have adequate breaks during the day, as well as their daily and weekly rest periods. Employees must also retain their legal right to annual leave and public holidays. Employers should consider whether their usual method of working time monitoring is suitable for remote working. In this context, a time management system for time recording is advisable.

The CMR has published OWT guidelines for employers and employees, detailing their responsibilities under the Working Time Organisation Act. This page describes employers` obligations and employees` responsibilities when working from home, general tips for working from home, information on Ministry of Revenue tax breaks for e-workers, and where you can get more information. The Data Protection Commission has published guidelines on the protection of personal data during remote work. EMPLOYERS must compensate employees with up to four weeks` pay if they do not sufficiently consider their personal circumstances when processing telework requests. In practice, employers must ensure that each remote work agreement is reviewed and includes a condition that there is a takeover mandate that can be applied if the agreement does not work for the company. These included that the nature of the work does not allow for remote work; whereas work cannot be reorganised among existing staff; or that remote work could have a negative impact on the quality of work or performance. This is complex legislation with challenges for employers and employees, she told Newstalk Radio. There was a need to develop a code of conduct for remote and hybrid work.

“There`s a big learning curve,” she added. If you only use part of your home for online work, your apartment will remain your main residence and you will not be liable to CGT if you sell it. We`ve put together some general tips to help you take care of your health and wellbeing while temporarily working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Try: If your employer doesn`t give you a subsidy for your expenses, you can apply for a tax reduction at the end of the year. You get money back from the taxes you paid. From January 2022, you can claim a 30% reduction in heating, electricity and broadband costs for the days you work from home. “This idea that every employer will comply with every request for remote work is a mistake,” he said. “Many employers still don`t see the benefits of remote work and want to monitor and track their employees. They feel that they can only do this if they are physically present.

All workplaces must also have a remote work policy that details how requests are handled and what conditions apply to remote work in general within the organization. Peter Cosgrove, an expert on the future of work, warned on RTÉ radio that telecommuting legislation should not be bureaucratic as it could discourage US companies from investing in Ireland. He said the state needed less bureaucracy and a more competitive market. A general scheme on the right to request remote work (“general scheme”) was approved by the Irish Cabinet on 25 January 2022. It has established a legal framework for applying, approving or rejecting a request for remote work. The proposals drew strong criticism, as unions felt the proposed legislation would favour employers with respect to the reasons for rejecting a request for remote work and appealing against that refusal. In particular, the unions criticised the fact that workers could not lodge a complaint against their employer with the Workplace Relations Commission (“WRC”) if the application had been rejected, but only if it had been ignored or treated inadequately. Employers also questioned the need for legislation and highlighted the additional administrative burden placed on businesses. The pre-legislative review of the corporate system is now complete, resulting in 20 recommendations to help the government improve and advance legislation this fall.