The next phase of the healthcare worker vaccination programme, which focuses on those not in direct patient contact gets underway later today (26th March), when the HSE’s registration portal for ‘frontline’ staff will close, and preparations of the system for the next round begin.

Discussions on sectoral bargaining for Fórsa members in health and social care settings will kick off shortly. The new public service agreement, which was overwhelming endorsed by union members last month, establishes a ‘sectoral bargaining fund’ worth 1% of basic pay, on top of two general round pay adjustments worth 1% each.

The new Family Leave Bill, which will extend paid parent’s leave from two to five weeks, is set to come into effect from next month. The period in which the leave can be taken will also increase from one year to two.

Over half of Irish businesses plan to allow remote working on a permanent basis into the future, while nearly three-quarters say productivity either increased or remained steady once remote working became the norm during the pandemic.

Spain is set to become the first country to trial a national test of a four-day working week, if a new bill comes into play.

State bodies are being encouraged to ramp up the numbers of apprenticeships in civil service departments, local authorities, and other State agencies in an ambitious plan to increase apprenticeship registrations from 6,500 to 10,000 by 2025.