On 01 April, Ireland’s prime minister, Taoiseach M. Martin, along with the deputy prime minister, Tánaiste L. Varadkar signed a new code of practice formulated by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) that gives all employees the right to disconnect from work. This measure has been included in the new code as a prescriptive instrument and as such is not wholly binding. Separately and as part of a commitment to creating family-friendly working arrangements, the Tánaiste also opened a consultation inviting views on plans to put the right to request remote working into law.
As of 01 April, and based on current working time legislation, employees in Ireland can take advantage of a right to disconnect, the Tánaiste stated. This right is defined as:
- The right of an employee to not have to routinely perform work outside their normal working hours,
- The right not to be penalized for refusing to attend to work matters outside of normal working hours
- The duty to respect another person’s right to disconnect (for example, by not routinely emailing or calling outside norma
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