Emer Currie (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for taking on board the direction of travel regarding what we would like to see in the review, although this was an opportunity to include it here and now. For the reasons I stated, there is a difference between legislation that will predominantly help women and, on the other hand, gender equality legislation. The knock-on effect of that is that we are dealing with numbers of women falling out of the workforce, especially as they have children, but we are also talking about a new generation of the workforce that works very hard and wants more flexibility. Giving people the flexibility to work compressed hours and take longer holidays is where the workforce is going. Other countries are recognising the fact flexibility is not just for parents and carers but for everyone.

Moreover, when there are standardised forms of flexibility, there will also be a better ability to disconnect. If people have various agreements in the office and if some people are entitled to flexible working arrangements and others are not, that is a perk., and sometimes people feel they need to work harder when they are given a perk. Having standardised forms such as I mentioned, and which the Minister mentioned in the broader sense of the Bill, will help to put parameters around what that flexibility is. It is good that he made those references in the legislation to reduced hours, flexible working arrangements and remote working, but we need to help employers with this if it is to do what it should do, namely, create a cultural shift in the workplace.