Employers who want to maintain structured remote working as coronavirus restrictions on travel and assembly ease will need to put staff safeguards in place and reach agreement with worker representatives, Fórsa has said.

While some surveys show that many newly-remote workers would like to continue some form of home working, many have also found it a challenge. That’s why Fórsa recently published advice to its members on managing remote working. 

In a submission to the Oireachtas Special Committee on the Covid-19 response, Fórsa this week said that workers understood that the large-scale move to temporary homeworking arrangements was necessary during the immediate crisis.

“Employers now have a responsibility to engage with staff representatives to foster an agreed approach to the organisation of working time and location that can accommodate the various circumstances and concerns of their staff,” it said.

The union also said that a national public policy response could be needed. “There may emerge a need for stronger statutory and regulatory safeguards, as the expansion of remote working could otherwise be accompanied by an increase in the insecurity and exploitation associated with the ‘gig’ economy,” it argued.

The union’s submission added that State agencies – including the Health and Safety Authority, the Data Protection Commissioner and the National Cyber Security Centre – might need to consider strengthening their advice and enforcement regimes to reflect a situation where remote working becomes far more prevalent.

More than a third of workers in Ireland were working remotely at the peak of the public health crisis. The Government’s ‘roadmap for reopening society and business’ is clear that many workers will continue to work remotely for some time.

Fórsa acknowledged that a shift to remote working has the potential to improve productivity, public services, regional balance, quality of life, and the environment. But the union says it also comes with challenges.

“Employers and their staff should be applauded for establishing productive and rewarding remote working arrangements in an extraordinarily short period of time. While this has been a positive and productive experience for many, others have personal and family circumstances or accommodation constraints that result in huge difficulties in home working,” it said.

The Fórsa guide, Working at home: Staying safe, connected, healthy and productive, contains advice on health and safety, setting up a workspace, breaks, staying in touch with managers and colleagues, and balancing work with home life and childcare. It also carries useful tips on data protection, cybersecurity, and safeguarding your mental health.

Róisín McKane of Fórsa’s Communications Unit drafted the guidance. “You may be out of the workplace, but you can still rely on certain legal protections, and you should look to your employer for the supports you need to do your job safely and well,” she said.

Read the Fórsa guidance HERE. 

If you have questions or concerns about your own situation, you can contact Fórsa HERE. 

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