Ireland: bill tabled to establish right to disconnect and protect employees working remotely

Six deputies from the Irish Labour Party have tabled a bill that would introduce a right to disconnect – or “switch off” – for those working remotely. As the members point out, the number of people working remotely has sky-rocketed amid the Covid-19 pandemic, rising from 200,000 to 700,000 since the start of the year. They argue that although the Organisation of Working Time Act of 1997, which imposes a daily rest time of 11 hours and a maximum working week of 48 hours, still applies, people working remotely are subjected to constant stress caused by electronic communications. Under this law, employees would have a legal right not to check their work-related electronic communications during their contracted rest periods, even if their employer asks them to. Furthermore, the proposal seeks to amend the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act of 2005, extending employer obligations in this area to cases of remote work. Such obligations unto employees would include a duty to provide necessary equipment and to cover additional expenses incurred from working remotely. Speaking on behalf of the government, Leo Varadkar, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, said the government would not be opposed to the proposal but may opt to amend it, viewing the Labour proposals as “quite rigid”.