Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The issue the Labour Party has with the Bill as drafted is that the provisions state that a worker would have to wait 26 weeks before requesting permission to work remotely and then potentially 12 further weeks for an answer. That is 38 weeks, which is the length of a pregnancy. The grounds for refusal from an employer are so wide that the Bill is effectively meaningless. We want a right to flexible work, not a right for an employer to refuse it. This is why I ask what sort of engagement the Minister has had with the trade union movement. I do so because it feels as if this Bill is being written with employers in mind, and not workers. He will appreciate and be aware that remote working has brought a lot of benefits to society for those families that wanted to embrace it. It does not suit everybody and not everybody wants it but female participation in the workforce has increased by 3.5% during the pandemic.

Does the Minister agree that his legislation is weighed in favour of employers and not workers?

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