New right to request remote working

Gordon Gekko said:
Why not just sort out your childcare and do your job? It’s not an employer’s job to arrange childcare, it’s a parent’s. I’m all for the flexibility to go to a sportsday or work from home if a child is sick. But not for factoring it in as normal.
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Agreed.. You either a stay at home child carer and dont work a full time job, or you are the opposite.
 
Gordon Gekko said:
The right to work from home at all should be earned after trust has been built.
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So a company goes through significant hassle and expense to hire someone into a senior role and then you have to built trust ?
I am in my early 50ies and have hired a lot of people in my career, including into senior roles. Nobody ever had to "build trust". It is their's to lose.

Won't even respond to the 'stay at home child carer vs work full time job' line :rolleyes:

to the OP: at least the rules are clear. if there wasn't even a whisper of "we understand and we can work something out usually" then I would not take the job, as there seems to be a Gordon Gekko type leadership attitude. And this one well and truly belongs into the 70ies and 80ies.
 
I've seen plenty of roles advertised with hybrid working arrangements mentioned in the advert.

If this role wasn't advertised with the option of part time remote working, then that's that.

The question has been asked by the successful candidate, and they got their answer.

If the person doesn't want to accept the role on the terms offered, then fair enough, they know what to look out for, when considering applying for the next role.
 
MrEarl said:
I've seen plenty of roles advertised with hybrid working arrangements mentioned in the advert.

If this role wasn't advertised with the option of part time remote working, then that's that.

The question has been asked by the successful candidate, and they got their answer.

If the person doesn't want to accept the role on the terms offered, then fair enough, they know what to look out for, when considering applying for the next role.
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This exactly. Expecting a company to completely change their policy for one individual (who doesn't even work there yet) when they have been clear and transparent about it, and feeling "wronged" and ready for the WRC if they don't, speaks of entitlement to me.
If the company had promised 2 days a week and reneged on it, absolutely complain about it, but that's not what is happening here.
If the job doesn't suit, you are free not to take it and choose a better fit, but expecting the world to bend to your needs is a bit much
 
messyleo said:
This exactly. Expecting a company to completely change their policy for one individual (who doesn't even work there yet) when they have been clear and transparent about it, and feeling "wronged" and ready for the WRC if they don't, speaks of entitlement to me.
If the company had promised 2 days a week and reneged on it, absolutely complain about it, but that's not what is happening here.
If the job doesn't suit, you are free not to take it and choose a better fit, but expecting the world to bend to your needs is a bit much
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The OPs original post was about the new legislation. Their daughter asked about the possibility of WFH. I don't think a demand was made. Asking what an employers policies are before accepting an offer seems reasonable. If the terms aren't acceptable, don't accept the offer.
The WRC as a possible path was suggested (by yourself), not necessarily a recommendation, no mention of feeling wronged.
 
TBF the OP asked "can the company still insist they will enforce their own policy.?" when the company has already made it very clear what their policy is. Implies OP is expecting them to change their policy for them
 
messyleo said:
TBF the OP asked "can the company still insist they will enforce their own policy.?" when the company has already made it very clear what their policy is. Implies OP is expecting them to change their policy for them
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I see that statement as a question in relation to the legislation rather than an implication they expect them to change. Just a different interpretation I suppose.
Anyway I think the original post has been answered. Never understood what the legislation really did. It wasn't as if you couldn't request WFH without the legislation, it just seems to make the request formal now.
 
JoeRoberts said:
Unfortunately a lot are in the public service where the chop does not exist, but then its the public service who are pushing these policies into the workplace
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Sure didn't eamon Ryan say that as a way of removing free parking from civil servants in the city. They could remove that benefit as most are now working from home and don't need the parking spaces. It was also laughable that during migration crisis when tents outside their offices, nobody was dealing with it as they were all off for the long weekend just a photocopy sheet with a phone number stuck to a barricade outside.
 
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losttheplot said:
I see that statement as a question in relation to the legislation rather than an implication they expect them to change. Just a different interpretation I suppose.
Anyway I think the original post has been answered. Never understood what the legislation really did. It wasn't as if you couldn't request WFH without the legislation, it just seems to make the request formal now.
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Agree - I think workers put way too much weight in the new legislation and what rights it really gives them - I foresee a lot of disappointed people ahead
 
Broadcaster said:
My daughter has been offered a senior position with new employer. However before accepting she asked about remote working for 2 days per week (she has very young children so needs a bit of flexibility). The company has designated the first year of employment as probationary period and claim their policy is not to allow remote working during this period…. That’s a full year!

My question is, given the new rules on remote working, does that trump any internal policy. In other words if the new rule states she can request remote working and can take it up after working for the company for 6 months, can the company still insist they will enforce their own policy.

Would appreciate any advice on this. Many thanks
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Ultimately she either wants the job and it's a good opportunity or it's not worth the hassle.

Coming in day one and citing the new rules around the right to request remote work is a quick way to have the offer rescinded.

As Gordon said you have to earn trust in an organization regardless of the level, if she goes in and gets on well it should'nt be an issue but she needs to weigh up the requirements of the role versus her own ambitions / need for flexibility.

Can her partner not seek more flexibility for example?
 
Re the childcare issue, it’s not a women problem it’s a parent problem.

From a company’s perspective attracting and retaining talent by being flexible is an excellent plan.

Candidates look at many aspects of a company before accepting a job offer, we’ve been asked about climate awareness, gender and diversity, flexibility re hours and location. It’s a long list these days.

Gone are the days when a female applicant was afraid to ask about maternity leave policies and companies felt entitled to ask about family status, engaged married kids etc.

We have single parents asking about flexibility at the interview stage and being crystal clear that they are not interested if we can’t demonstrate an open mind.


Back to the OP… seems like this might not be the best fit for her this time.
 
Gordon Gekko said:
No they can’t be done to the same degree. Work from home is a massive con job so the lazy and the uncommitted can pretend to work. Thankfully it’s starting to be killed-off with large companies bringing people back into the office.
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It was also pushed heavily by government during covid as a way of maintaining restrictions and social distancing. Since the end of covid haven't heard much since from government about it. I think they realised the unintentional downsides, it made office jobs too attractive vis a vis everything else, why would a young guy or gal do an apprenticeship when they see their peers working from home in Spain on a laptop, it was all too good to be true
 
OP, fair play to your daughter for trying to get the best deal for herself. You have to be your own advocate and often people are too shy to ask for what they want. When I hire a candidate I ask them what is important to them and I go to bat for their requests. I never promise but at least they know they can ask and we will try. You are dead right to find out all you can about the legislation because a lot of employers may not understand it either.

Maybe it depends on the industry but I don't understand the trust building idea as if we are all hiring CEOs of Fortune 500 companies or selecting a world leader. You hire someone who is qualified and who does well in the interviews, then you see how they go in the probationary period. Some people are rubbish, some excellent, most are fine. If someone wants to WFH then if it's feasible in their role you let them and then you review it. If it's not working then you change it or part ways.

I think a lot of bosses who worry about this are actually poor managers who can't handle performance management and so they just dismiss WFH/hybrid out of hand.
 
MrEarl said:
Hello,

My view is that your daughter should either take the job, get stuck in, prove she's well capable, and then ask about working from home (perhaps initially 1 day per week) in 7-8mths time, or else decline the job offer, and move on.

If its a new role for her, with notable responsibility, then it's a bit rich for her to be expecting to work from home 40% of the time, from Day 1.
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Yep, that's it in a nutshell, right there.
 
Maybe the company haven't updated their policy to reflect the max probationary period was changed to 6 months. I thought any extension between 6-12 months was for the employees benefit, eg. while an employee completed a training programme, or for performance improvement to ensure continuity of employment. Am I wrong there?
Also, I thought a request for FW (remote, pt, jobshare etc) for caring duties could be made from day 1 but not actioned until after 6 months in the job - if granted. Am I wrong there?
 
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You can indeed request it from day one. But it can’t start within 6 months, although presumably the employer can waive this and let it start sooner if they want to.

Right to request remote working

Find out about your right to request remote working and the guidance for employers and employees on how to make and handle requests.
www.citizensinformation.ie www.citizensinformation.ie
 
Gordon Gekko said:
No they can’t be done to the same degree. Work from home is a massive con job so the lazy and the uncommitted can pretend to work. Thankfully it’s starting to be killed-off with large companies bringing people back into the office.
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I’m not a fan of WFH as a concept but this response is stereotypical guff from the ice age.

Younger people brought up in the digital age communicate in ways that don’t necessarily make sense to others. Perhaps consider allowing them to do things their way until you can show they’re wrong.

The notion that things should be done as they always have been illustrates a deep reluctance to change that is unsustainable.
 
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