36% of Irish business leaders say it is too soon to form a position on hybrid working.
Irish business leaders are split on the ‘Right to Request Remote Working Bill’ recently revealed by the Government.
More than one-third (35%) of business leaders do not believe the Draft Scheme of the Right to Request Remote Working Bill 2022 balances the rights and requirements of both employees and employers.
“It is crucial at this stage for business leaders to ensure transparency and engagement with their staff, to ensure that whichever model is implemented benefits the needs of the employer and the employee”
However, 28% of business leaders believe the Draft Scheme balances the rights and requirements of employees and employers.
Back to the drawing board?
Furthermore, of the aforementioned 35% who believe it doesn’t balance the rights and requirements of both employees and employers, a large majority (93%) thinks the Government should ‘go back to the drawing board’ with the Bill and do a fuller and more detailed consultation with the relevant parties.
These, and other advance findings, are contained in the latest quarterly Director Sentiment Monitor survey for Q1 2022 from the Institute of Directors (IoD) in Ireland, to be published later this month.
The research also finds a small discrepancy between what business leaders personally believe regarding the success or otherwise of the hybrid working model and what their organisations’ position on the matter is.
So, while almost half (48%) of business leaders have a personal belief that hybrid working in itself has been a success, when it comes to their organisation forming a position on it, 36% say it is too soon for their organisation to do so, with another 30% saying their organisation has it ‘under review’.
“While some form of hybrid working has been adopted by many organisations since the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is clear that it is too soon to tell how successful the model will be,” said Maura Quinn, CEO of the Institute of Directors.
“However, the fact that almost half (48%) of business leaders note it has been a success is significant. It would seem, too, that business leaders are split on whether the Draft Scheme of the Right to Request Remote Working Bill 2022 will satisfy both employees and employers.
The finding that 37% of business leaders say they ‘don’t know enough’ about the Right to Request Remote Working Bill 2022 indicates that we have some way to go on this issue.
“We live in uncertain and changing times, across a number of fronts, and it will surely take some time for some of the issues around remote and hybrid working – including the proposed legislation in this area – to be resolved.
“It is crucial at this stage for business leaders to ensure transparency and engagement with their staff, to ensure that whichever model is implemented benefits the needs of the employer and the employee.”
Main image at top: Maura Quinn, CEO of the Institute of Directors
