Public Consultation on Remote Working Legislation Review

18 November 2025

Public consultation on the review of the operation of the right to request remote working legislation - DETE

The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment is seeking the views of stakeholders and interested parties on the operation of the right to request remote working provisions of the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023.

This consultation provides an opportunity to hear directly from interested parties and obtain views on how the legislation is operating in practice.

Background

The right to request a remote working arrangement came into force for all employees on 6 March 2024 and introduced a legislative framework that reflects the evolving nature of work in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. This right is provided for within Part 3 of the Work Life Balance Act.

The legislation does not provide a direct right to work remotely. It provides a right to request remote working and sets out requirements including how a request must be made, considerations both the employer and employee must take into account, timelines and referrals to the Workplace Relations Commission.

The legislation is accompanied by a Workplace Relations Commission Code of Practice. This code was developed in consultation with the social partners and provides practical guidance to both employers and employees to support compliance with the legislation.

As required by Section 29 of the Act, a legislative review of the operation of the remote working provisions must be carried out not earlier than one year and not later than two years following the commencement of the legislation. As part of this review, the department has launched a public consultation to gather views on the effectiveness of the legislation in providing the new entitlements, to evaluate the clarity of the legislation and to identify any unintended consequences of the legislation.

Further information on the Work Life Balance Act and the Code of Practice

• Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023
• Code of Practice for Employers and Employees

Information on the consultation process

How to make a submission – employees

Submissions for employees should be completed by using the following form:

Public consultation on the right to request remote work legislation - employees form

How to make a submission – employers and all other interested parties

Submissions for employers and all other interested parties should be completed by using the following form:

Public consultation on the right to request remote work legislation - all other respondents form

Closing date

Completed questionnaires are requested no later than 3pm on Tuesday, 9 December 2025.

Any questions or further information should be sent to employmentrights@enterprise.gov.ie with 'Remote Work Public Consultation' included in the subject line.

Freedom of Information and Data Protection

Your attention is drawn to the fact that information provided to the department in response to the public consultation may be disclosed in response to a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2014 (FOI), and as such may be published on our website. In responding to this consultation, parties should clearly indicate where their responses contain commercially sensitive or confidential information which they would not wish to be released under FOI or otherwise published, and specify the reasons for its sensitivity. The department will consult with you regarding information identified by you as sensitive before publishing or otherwise disclosing it.

Data Protection Statement - Public consultation on the review of the right to request remote working legislation