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Government launches consultation on Flexible Working under Future Jobs Ireland

Consultation seeks the views of employers, employees, trade unions and the general public on flexible working
Flexible working is crucial to young families and those with disabilities

The Government has launched a consultation seeking the public’s views on flexible working as part of Future Jobs Ireland, the whole of Government plan to prepare our businesses and workers for the future.

Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys TD, and Minister of State with responsibility for Equality, Immigration and Integration, David Stanton TD, launched the consultation process in Government Buildings this morning.

This consultation is being undertaken to seek views from employers, employees, trades unions and the wider public on the types of flexible working arrangements currently in place and the changes that they wish to see.

Also under consideration is the potential impact of changes in technology, the workplace, the family and society on the types of flexible working arrangements available to employees and the potential obstacles that may exist for small, medium and large employers when facilitating flexible working arrangements.

Launching the consultation process, Minister Humphreys said:

As we approach full employment, we need to be more creative about how we look at the world of work. That’s exactly what we’re doing through Future Jobs Ireland, the whole-of-Government plan to prepare our businesses and workers for the future. Flexible working has the potential to bring huge benefits to employers and employees alike. It can improve work / life balance and make things a bit easier for families. It can also help businesses to attract and retain staff in an increasingly competitive labour market. Obviously, however, any new Government policy needs to have buy-in from businesses in the first instance, which is why we want to hear their views, together with the views of workers, to decide the best way forward.

Minister Stanton said:

We are seeking to develop a policy that takes account of the needs of families, particularly those with young children, of individuals, including those with disabilities, of employers and of the broader economy. Flexible working arrangements can support parents to balance caring and work responsibilities. They can also be crucial for those caring for older people or those with disabilities as well as for employees who themselves have disabilities.

Flexible working options may include:

  • starting or finishing work at differing times
  • working compressed hours
  • having access to flexi-time
  • being able to work remotely
  • having the right to disconnect outside work hours.

The survey and additional information about the consultation can be found at http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Public_Consultation_on_Flexible_Working

The Press Release can be read in full here https://merrionstreet.ie/MerrionStreet/en/News-Room/Releases/Government_launches_consultation_on_Flexible_Working_under_Future_Jobs_Ireland.html