Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Amendment No. 28 seeks to clarify in section 13C(1) that where an employer is considering a request for a flexible working agreement that he or she should have regard to as his or her needs only in so far as they are relevant to the functioning of his or her business. This may seem obvious but we know that penalisation happens in workplaces and the legislation needs to be crystal clear that, when it comes to approval of flexible work, the consideration of such a request must factor in relevant concerns.

Amendment No. 29 is an alternative to amendment No. 28 and also seeks to clarify in section 13C(1) that where an employer is considering a request for a flexible working agreement, he or she should have regard to his or her needs only in so far as they are relevant to the fulfilling of the employee's duties. This amendment has been tabled for the same reason as amendment No. 28, and is a necessary clarification.