Remote job announcements deserve red ribbon moment – Currie

Remote roles deserve more visibility and recognition in the jobs market, a Fine Gael Senator has said.

Senator Emer Currie said announcements about new remote jobs are catalysts for change and should be celebrated the same way as traditional positions.

Senator Currie said: “This last couple of weeks has seen three IDA announcements about securing over 270 new remote jobs in Ireland from tech companies Medallia, IQVIA and Genesys. This is brilliant news from the IDA and it shows the need to recognise remote roles in the overall job creation sector.

“A cursory glance at Twitter shows the fanfare when physical jobs were secured in Galway, while there was little in comparison shared about the creation of over 270 remote jobs that will benefit communities all over Ireland and enable more people to live wherever they want.

“Announcements about new remote jobs are catalysts for change and we need to recognise them as such. They should be welcomed equally to location-specific jobs, but at the moment people just don’t know how to celebrate them.

“Have you ever seen a photo opp from a home office or hot-desk?

“IDA research shows that for every two jobs secured in a community, another two are sustained locally. And Permanent TSB data for mortgage applications have increased outside Dublin by 20-30% since pre-lockdown.

“People make personal investments where they live and work and for many, relocation is on the menu.

“The numbers speak for themselves – remote work is good for regional balance, people and managers want it and the Government is putting resources behind better broadband, remote working hubs and amenities in local communities – another €15m for Town and Village Renewal was announced today.

“We now need remote work to become more visible in the job creation sector. This should be a rallying call for employers to start advertising job descriptions as location-flexible or location-less.

“Any government Action Plan for jobs should set out ambitions and measure remote jobs per local authority, so public representatives and stakeholders can all get behind the work of securing them and celebrating them. Also, the work of Grow Remote, a social enterprise that promotes remote roles locally and building communities around it should be supported and shared by community leaders everywhere.”

 ENDS