Experience of successful remote working organisations can help map the way forward – Currie

The experience of organisations who have successfully implemented remote working can help map the way forward for other companies attempting to navigate changes to work, a Fine Gael Senator has said.

Senator Emer Currie, Fine Gael Spokesperson for Employment Affairs and Work Life Balance, was speaking ahead of the appearance before today’s Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment, of leaders and experts in remote work, as part of the pre-legislative scrutiny on the Right to Request Remote Work Bill. This follows the Senator’s suggestion that the voice of those already operating in remote and hybrid organisations must be heard.

Senator Currie said: “Much of the debate around remote work still understandably centres on the fears of employers when it comes to practical issues like health and safety, insurance, cyber-security, data protection, on-boarding staff and team dynamics. Today we hear from organisations that overcome the barriers.

“As part of the process of developing legislation on remote work, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment conducted a public consultation which collected these issues and concerns.

“However it is my belief that in this process, the Department was much less likely to hear from companies who are already leading the way, who have already created successful remote work and hybrid environments and have probably dealt with issues like this already.  It is imperative we hear from organisations who understand these issues as well as those who identify them as potential challenges. We need to bring more balance to this debate and today’s Oireachtas Committee hearing will be a good step in the right direction.

“There are thousands of people in Ireland who already work in remote roles, hundreds of successful companies or managers who operated remotely pre and post pandemic and whose insights we need to hear. There are enterprises, SMEs and startups that innovated without the need for legislation, and can help other companies to adapt with their experience.

“My concern is that the draft legislation is skewed towards perceived problems or pitfalls, many of which could be solved if given the chance. I hope this Oireachtas Committee session with ‘Grow Remote’ and ‘GloFox’ will bring more to a debate which has often been framed as employers versus employees, instead of the future of work and how we can benefit from the transformative impact of location-less work.

“While this legislation has been described as providing a floor of rights, it’s also about breaking through the ceiling, creating better opportunities for people and communities, and that’s why a remote work ecosystem is so important.

“We want to avoid a situation where a list of employer fears are included in this legislation as reasons to reject remote work, if solutions can actually be found. Grounds for refusing remote work should be reasonable and demonstrable rather than based on unsubstantiated concerns or potential negative impacts.

“It’s clear to me that Government should commit to assisting companies through this transition. This legislation needs to be matched with resources and support like access to training and information campaigns about digital-first workplaces. We already see the benefit in investing in the digital transformation of retail and SMEs, so why not the digital transformation of workplaces? We are investing in the regeneration of our main streets, we are investing in community remote work infrastructure and we need to ensure a supply of remote workers all over the country too.

“I think one of the biggest concerns about the legislation is that we could undermine the transformative impact of location-less work by actually including location as a reason to refuse it, whether through a 26-week waiting period or insisting on proximity to the office.

“I really hope by bringing organisations like Grow Remote and Glofox before the Committee that some of the myths and misconceptions about remote work can be challenged and much more emphasis can be placed on the ways it can democratise workplaces. We can create a digital-first culture where a full-time remote worker in Donegal has the same opportunities as someone who is office-based in Dublin,” Senator Currie concluded.