TÁNAISTE LEO VARADKAR has said the government is looking at providing people with the legal right to request remote working in their employment.

Asked whether enough is being done to encourage employers to facilitate staff working from home during Level 3, Varadkar said that a public consultation is being put in train to look at the issue. 

The pandemic has presented major challenges for both employees and employers alike. Already, questions are being raised over the efficacy of such a move by Government. 

Employment law solicitor Richard Grogan told TheJournal.ie this morning that giving people a right to ask to work from home without also giving them a right to work from home would be “pointless” and will lead to people believing they have rights that they do not actually have. 

“For it to be serious, there’d have to be a whole mechanism to work out what circumstances it is ‘possible’ for an employee to work from home and then you’d also have to indemnify employers,” he said. 

Today, we’re asking: Should employees be given the right to ask to work from home?