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LAST UPDATE | 29 Jul
AIB’S DECISION TO mandate three office days a week from 2026 sparked a predictable reaction — union pushback, media noise and staff frustrations. But the biggest problem isn’t AIB.
The real issue is that Ireland still has no national target for landing remote jobs. In the absence of clear benchmarks, employers are making decisions based on what their peers are doing, not what the economy demands or what talent wants. That’s how return-to-office (RTO) becomes a default, not a strategy.
Meanwhile, other countries are actively competing to attract remote-first roles. Ireland isn’t, and we need to start competing.
There are over 100,000 remote jobs available every month across Europe. If even 10% of those were directed into Ireland, we’d gain 10,000 high-quality roles, attracting at least €180 million in tax revenue, boosting regional economies and supporting long-term resilience in the labour market.
But there’s currently no target, no campaign and no structured plan to attract these jobs or to grow the remote sector intentionally. Yes, Ireland has a strategy for remote work, but it lacks structure.
Most employers aren’t opposed to remote work; rather, they are uncertain. In the absence of competitive pressure or tangible benefits, they revert to what feels familiar: in-office work.
AIB, which reported profits after tax in excess of €2 bn last year, has argued that working from a central office “enables greater collaboration, connection and innovation that supports our customers, the economy and communities in achieving future success”.
It is now more expensive than ever to rent office space in the city centre (€700 per m²). Reports that office vacancy recently declined for the first time in three years suggest that only the most affluent companies are in a financial position to welcome employees back to a city office. Indeed, many SMEs have embedded remote-first models to avoid ballooning rents. However, there is a significant body of evidence that suggests RTO will cost these companies more than they expect.
Research from McKinsey shows that RTO mandates do not improve innovation or team connection, and can actively weaken morale and increase attrition. In a 2024 study tracking over three million finance and tech workers, RTO led to 14% higher staff turnover, with high performers especially inclined to leave.
Looking a little deeper at the data can help us understand the widespread transition to remote. Stanford economist Nick Bloom found that hybrid employees who work from home two days a week are equally as productive as fully onsite colleagues.
They are also more likely to be promoted and less likely to quit their job. This is backed by research by the Western Development Commission with NUIG, which found 88% of team managers felt remote working had no negative impact on productivity.
According to the recent CIPD report, nine out of ten organisations believe hybrid working to be the most impactful tool for recruiting and retaining talent. We are seeing companies like AIB moving backwards in spite of evidence showing that flexibility improves retention, satisfaction, and access to talent.
To change this, we need:
Ireland has spent the past several years building the foundations; we have training programmes, guidance and policy frameworks.
However, we still have no measurable quota, no consistent tracking of locationless jobs available in Ireland, and no national leadership to push remote employment forward as a strategic priority.
Remote work isn’t about lifestyle. It’s about competitiveness, resilience and economic opportunity. If we treat it that way, we’ll stop reacting to each new mandate and start shaping the future of work in Ireland.
Tracy Keogh is Co-Founder and Chair of Grow Remote.
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