Ireland: Overhaul of Code of Practice on the Right to Request Remote Working

The Irish Government recently announced that the Workplace Relations Commission (“WRC”) will develop an enhanced Code of Practice on the Right to Request Remote Work (the “Code”), following the publication of a statutory review of Ireland’s remote‑work legislation. While full details of the revised Code are not yet available, the review makes clear that the current iteration of the Code is too limited in scope and not widely understood, prompting the need for an overhaul.

The existing Code of Practice on the Right to Request Flexible Working and the Right to Request Remote Working was first introduced in 2024 under the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 and sets out procedural guidance for how employers and employees should handle requests for remote and flexible working arrangements.

 

Limitations of the Existing Code

The Code has been criticised for offering insufficient clarity, minimal practical templates, and little enforcement impact. Awareness of the Code is also low, the statutory review found, indicating that less than half of employees even knew they had a formal right to request remote work.

 

Rationale for Review

Despite these shortcomings, the review reports that the legislation is functioning effectively when used, with 94% of remote‑work requests being approved, fully or partly, with employers reporting minimal administrative burden. Low usage, rather than legislative failure, has therefore emerged as the core issue, particularly in rural areas and among smaller employers.

In response, the Irish Government has directed the WRC to produce a strengthened and more practical Code of Practice, which is expected to include:

• Clearer templates for employees making requests
• Guidance for employers on providing comprehensive and transparent reasons for decisions
• Clarified timelines and decision‑making steps
• Support for more structured consultation between employers and staff

A national information campaign will accompany the updated Code to improve awareness among both employers and workers. The enhanced Code is intended to make the process more accessible and consistent, ensuring the right to request remote work is more meaningful in practice.