Remote working - the future?

kathleen37

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117964733#Comment_117964733

Once again you are completely wrong in my case. I am over 50 and got a big increase on my last salary with my current, fulltime, WFH position. I also got a €1000 allowance fitting out my home office. I also get broadband paid monthly, as well as montly food vouchers (office has free restaurant for staff working in the office, so as I don't, I get food vouchers instead) Some companies in this country still ,thankfully, value their staff.

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117985803#Comment_117985803

I'm pleased that it worked out for you.

My own experience, and that of a number of other people I know, is that after 50 it got lot harder to even get a job.

kathleen37

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117986443#Comment_117986443

Thanks.

I appreciate it took longer than I thought, I was told more than once I was "too experienced", which I took to mean "too old" but I persevered. I do think it would have been much much easier to find a job had I been in work when I was looking, especially in the tech industry where tech moves so fast, but I left my previous job to look after my Mum full time after she had a stroke.

I also appreciate I'm lucky to have got into a company that I now love who genuinely values its staff. Certainly the best company I have ever worked for. I hope if nothing else this post can let people know that there are excellent jobs out there and people that value your work and values and are prepared to employ you based on that, rather than how you look.

I'm not saying it isn't hard out in the job market, it obviously is. But it rankles when people are written off due to their age, or for being female, disabled, gay or whatever.

My contract also states my work location is my home, and as I mentioned earlier, there are perks specifically related to that. I won't be accepting any decrease in wages as my contract already states I work from home permanently. Currently, no one has to return to the office until some time next year unless they want to, and they are currently offering people the opportunity to WFH either hybrid or permanently. No decrease in wages.

Calahonda52

Good stuff K37!! delighted for you😀

If you have a skill set that is in demand and you are good with it, then there is no issue with getting work.

I am 69 next week and not discarded yet😎

This thread has mainly been around a focus on employee rights, real and imaginary, with little or no account of the new realities.

Plenty work in Vietnam, especially around Ho Chi min city and the industrial surrounds

They just lifted movement restrictions and this allowed migrants to go back home, be it back home in rural Vietnam or else where.

2.5 m from 3.1 million migrants have said they are going home... so huge supply chain issues for garments etc.

Sheep Shagger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117839351#Comment_117839351

As a matter of interest how much did yours work out too?

While I gave online bills for has and power, Virgin as my broadband supplier can't split out the BB to tell me what portion of the bundle deal I'm on is, and Revenue say you need it in case they check (unlikely I know but what % of your bill is BB worth?)

Next budget has updated options for WFH

https://www.thejournal.ie/remote-working-claiming-back-energy-bills-5568829-Oct2021/

It’s understood the final negotiations are now focused on two options, either: 

1. Allowing workers claim back 20% to 30% of energy bills against taxn

2. Increasing the daily working from home allowance that is paid by some employers 

Under the current rules, Revenue allows those working remotely to claim tax relief on the additional costs of working from home, including electricity and heat.

The rate you can currently claim is 10% of the total amount of utility bills against your taxes.

You can also claim 30% of broadband costs for the tax year. This was introduced as a Covid-19 measure and was due to last for the duration of the pandemic. No end date was given and it’s understood there are considerations underway to make this a permanent fixture. 

Sheep Shagger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118000490#Comment_118000490

Yep saw that, TBH a flat rate per day would be the cleanest and easiest. Some will will gain and some will lose with varying WFH costs but would be cleaner.

At the moment is a pittance and have seen some people say after the trouble of calculating it its worth less than €100 a year.

Assume any budget changes will be for this tax year and beyond, not retrospective.

Patsy167

Employees working at home will be allowed claim back 30% of their energy bills against tax

https://www.thejournal.ie/remote-working-budget-2022-5572136-Oct2021/

caviardreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118009923#Comment_118009923

Only for the days they WFH e.g. 220/365 or whatever - relief would be 40% or 20% of approx €400 (so 80 or 160 back in cash) for somebody working full time from home with combined bills over the year of €2k

Sheep Shagger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118011486#Comment_118011486

Assuming you are a couple and between the two of you someone is WFH every day, you can claim for 100% of work days in a year given you both cant claim 30%.

....

Mrs OBumble

Turnover was down during a global pandemic. Yeah, that was due to work-from-premises-you-pay-for.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118020888#Comment_118020888

Source?

123Dublin456

Hi, can I jump on this and ask as someone hoping for a career change in the new year, probably after the summer, what jobs do you all have? What courses would be good for the jobs you have or do you have degrees that were really specific to them? I wish to change career and have at least a work from home option in the future for some time maybe a day or two a week but really that isn't the main reason. Just really want to feel more confident that I can look good on paper for some of these roles which tend to be remote or have the option. Sorry to change the thread topic but I'm guessing some of us In non work from home jobs would love this information.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118021151#Comment_118021151

Computer Security Consultant, focussing on Penetration testing. Didn't go to college. It's a very easy area to get into, but you have to love it.

123Dublin456

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118021210#Comment_118021210

Thank you, I've never heard of that before but I will research it now. Do you need to love working with computers do you mean or what would you compare the role to? I'm definitely considering some tech courses. Any idea of what other type jobs would be similar? I do have a degree but it wouldn't be specifically suited to many jobs besides the one I want a change from.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118021151#Comment_118021151

Go on to any of the job websites and filter by remote/work from home and you'll get a list of all roles with that option. Try a few different sites as the lists vary.

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118021096#Comment_118021096

DaCor's cartoon.

Madelyn

I haven't read all the thread.

I have heard some people I work with say people WFH should have a pay cut. My argument is what about all the people who live within 20 mins from work before covid... Should they be paid less than the people who travel longer distances?

There is nothing like a crisis to pit people against each other. Yes people WFH have no travel expenses now but before covid they had higher expenses than people living locally.

WFH might not be available to everyone or not suitable for everyone depending on personal circumstances but not everything in life is fair or equal..

RTE news : Remote work sees villages benefit from move back home

http://www.rte.ie/news/leinster/2021/1020/1254727-remote-working/

Young_gunner

I'm hopeful that this postponement of the office return means that the future of remote / wfh is much more secure - not even the most ardent of office fans can deny it now.

Sunny Disposition

This is an amazing change to society, villages and rural areas being suddenly revitalised, perhaps even struggling to cater for influxs of population, while cities have to repurpose themselves as centres for primary industries rather than services.

The implications are enormous, people need social outlets now in a way they didn't, while they also have more time. Rural areas will need a range of businesses such as cafes, small newsagents, at the same time as these businesses go into decline in cities.

It's a good time for people with the vision to see what will work in rural areas in the future. The village I live in has hundreds more people here in the day time that it would have had pre pandemic, one of my sons is opening a cafe and he's sure it'll work. I think he's right, to be fair to him he has a good nose for things like that.

Over the years cities have generally been wealthier than rural areas, and that trend intensified since 2000 or so. It's bound to go into reverse now, well paid and highly educated workers are more likely to work remotely.

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118052181#Comment_118052181

It certainly allows more time for research on actual productivity now that the urgency of pandemic conditions has recorded. This will be far more useful than data collected in 2020.

Sunny Disposition

One of the things people always miss is that if productivity is even roughly similar with remote work and in office, then the remote work option is by far the best because you can downsize or hopefully close your office. For many companies, including my one in the North, it's a huge boost.

It strikes me that people minimise that and don't realise that's the real reason remote working is going to be prevalent. It's nice to save your staff time etc, but really paying for an office is a massive business cost. This is like someone showing a PAYE worker how to get out of paying a mortgage or rent.

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118052379#Comment_118052379

Alternative way of stating the same thing:

You can make more profit by shifting the cost of providing office space to your employees (who cannot even claim it as a tax deductible expense).

Well done you.

CalisGirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118055923#Comment_118055923

Well except for the 30% tax credit employees can claim for expenses from the next tax year and any other equipment/allowances given by employers. Frankly, it's a cost most employees will be delighted to accept for increased control over workday (especially as they're paying for rent/mortgage regardless).

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118056969#Comment_118056969

Not to mention the absence of commuting costs, the risks of covid transmission, not having to deal with office politics etc etc etc

But some don't see it that way and prefer to go to the office, grand, let them off.

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118056969#Comment_118056969

Employees cannot claim the cost of rent. That is where the real cost lies.

If I had to provide an employer with office space long-term, I would need to either rent an office or move to a larger house. The commuting cost saving of €74 per month wouldn't go near covering the extra cost of renting more space than I have now.

AP2021

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118057500#Comment_118057500

I think that this is where the idea of regional hubs comes into its own. Government are planning the opening of 400 more of these in various locations.

There are lots of towns all around the country that have been hollowed out by both the decline of retail and the lack of a market for hospitality and services as working age people with disposable income have been moving to Dublin or spending their time commuting to larger cities for work. Already with COVID we've seen coffee shops and the like opening in such places now that workers are around again.

A regional hub in such a town populated by public servants and private service sector workers would be transformative for the economic and social life of those towns. It would to some degree bring back the type of activity that you saw when many of these towns were industrial centres.

It also means that you don't need to necessarily have your main workspace be in your own home. A 20 minute commute to the nearest hub is far easier for many people than a commute to the city centre, and still offers lots of the conveniences and social needs that going to an office fulfils.

MrMusician18

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118057500#Comment_118057500

I don't really understand what kind of argument that you're trying to make. Employees cannot claim the cost of a commute or the fact that they need to live in high demand residential areas either.

Working from home is a trade off, yeah you have to trade the cost of a suitable home office Vs the cost of a commute which has a monetary, time and indeed opportunity cost associated with it.

Unless you live very close to your office already and are on low wages and have an expensive rental then WFH is likely to be financially beneficial to you, despite the fact that there is a cost associated with a home office.