56|Retail News|May 2024|www.retailnews.ie
Employment Law
Right to request remote and flexible working
Catherine Hayes and Sinead Likely of Lewis Silkin share what employers in the retail sector need to know about the new right to request remote and flexible working. SINCE last month, all employees have a statutory right to request remote working, and employees who are parents or those with caring responsibilities have the right to request flexible working. This does not give employees a right to insist on remote or flexible working arrangements. However, it means that employers must comply with a statutory process and timeframe for considering any such requests and treat requests fairly and reasonably. There is guidance for employers on how to deal with
employee requests in the Code of Practice for Employers and Employees on the Right to Request Remote and Flexible Work Arrangements, which was published by the Workplace Relations Commission last month also. In this article, we look at what the Code of Practice says, and some of the key takeaways retailers need to know. What is remote working? Remote working is when work normally carried out by an employee at the
employer’s place of business is carried out at another location without a change to working hours or duties. All employees can request to work remotely. However, not all roles or work duties can be carried out remotely. When considering a remote working request, retailers will need to consider the request having regard to the needs of the business, the employee’s needs and the requirements of the Code of Practice. The Code outlines a number of suggested practical questions for employers to consider to help them assess the remote working request, both with regard to the suitability of the role and the employee making the request.