Remote working: It’s now about now
by Hazel Gavigan
 
“The results revealed a huge appetite for remote working, with people really favouring a hybrid model, blending time worked remotely and in the workplace,” said Bernard.
“The results revealed a huge appetite for remote working, with people really favouring a hybrid model, blending time worked remotely and in the workplace,” said Bernard.

Almost 200 people tuned into Fórsa’s webinar on remote working last Friday (25th September), with workers and employers from across the public and private sectors joining the discussion. 

 

‘Out of office: Remote working after Covid-19’ featured a panel of three expert speakers who explored issues like health and safety, work-life balance, productivity, and staying connected with colleagues. 

 

Addressing participants on the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation’s (DBEI) 2019 pre-Covid study on remote working, DBEI assistant principal Ruth Morrissey said there was strong support for remote working among both employers and employees. 

 

“What drove employers to be interested was the employee demand. They also noticed it was a huge motivational factor for staff,” she said. 

 

Ruth said remote working could also unlock pools of talent, which was previously inaccessible, including people with disabilities or childcare responsibilities.

 

This research led the DBEI to conduct a public consultation on remote working, which Fórsa produced a comprehensive submission to. 

 

Fórsa’s head of communications Bernard Harbor outlined the finding of the union’s opinion survey which, with over 4,300 respondents, was the largest of its kind in Ireland.

 

“The results revealed a huge appetite for remote working, with people really favouring a hybrid model, blending time worked remotely and in the workplace,” he said. 

 

Bernard caveated this by flagging issues surrounding home working environments.

 

“Given the speed at which some workers were catapulted into remote working at the beginning of the Covid crisis, we must now ensure that they are appropriately equipped with both the adequate infrastructure and guidelines to safely carry out their duties. 

 

"We have moved very quickly from this being a conversation about the future, to a conversation about the now," he said. 

 

Also joining the panel was Jenny Darmody, deputy editor of the online tech news site, Silicon Republic.

 

Jenny discussed what employers need to consider when looking after their employees in this new way of working, and highlighted some of the challenges currently faced. 

 

“In theory, remote working should deliver a greater work-life balance for staff. However, what we’re hearing increasing reports of is a trap of working longer hours than usual from home, where your work life actually bleeds into your personal life. 

 

“Another issue is having employers and companies trust staff to work independently from home. This is a culture which needs to be slowly instilled, as it did not previously exist,” she said. 

 

To watch back the event on Fórsa’s Facebook page, click here

 

To review Fórsa's submission to the DBEI's public consultation on remote working, click here.

 

For information on the DBEI's existing guidance for working remotely, click here. This page will also be updated with enhanced guidance based on the findings from the department's public consultation.

For more information on Fórsa's employee opinion survey on remote working, click here.

 

It’s never been more important – or more easy – to get the protections and benefits of union membership. Join Fórsa HERE or contact the union HERE.

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