Working From Home Megathread

absolutely but its more suprising some believe this is a future requirement - it isnt. Always there covid didnt negate that requirement. Employers have always been responsible for the WFH/remote working arrangement. Might be an issue going forward for non complaint employers only.

"I’m a civil servant. My job had been in Dublin prior to the pandemic. Following the public statements by Government ministers that civil servants would be facilitated to work in a local hub or nearest Government office building, I was given assurances by my employer I could live and work outside of Dublin. Having rented for 16 years in Dublin, I bought a house in rural Co Limerick with my wife, and we have since had a baby. Now my employer is insisting I return to Dublin four days a week on the basis these policies have not been implemented by the Government yet, nor will they be applicable to my back office policy role. My financial future will be destroyed if this happens. Not to mention, the strain on my marriage and time away from my two-month-old son. I am aware of six colleagues in my department alone who have bought homes in rural Ireland having moved from Dublin. Allow us to work from our nearest Government office building. Please."

What does “given assurances by my employer “ actually mean though? Was it written down and his contract altered to reflect this? It seems like a major gamble to me to make

But this is exactly the point, employers have seen that WFH can and does work, the hands of employers who don't embrace it will be forced as staff will simply move elsewhere / they'll have difficulty attracting staff. It might not be immediate but it will happen.

I get your thinking Herr but not sure that necessarily applies to most people. I'm 40km each way from my office. While I'm working from home during the week my car doesn't leave the driveway most days. Ive put just under 9k km on my car in 7 months and 2 of those I was in the office full time. Back when I was in the office 5 days a week I would have put up easily 15k km in that time between commuting and weekend trips.

none of that makes sense. Most remote works jobs in Ireland require the person to be resident in the state not in another country or at least within the EU. Chances of civil and public service jobs being outsourced to India are nil.

In all seriousness though, what is his employer going to do if he states he can only come to the office say, once a fortnight? Is the employer going to take him to the WRC or issue HR proceedings against him?

I just cannot see this being realistic if the man has been WFH for 2 years and doing his job well.

I have no idea what companies will do in that case. Many people have been WFH for most of the last 2 years, but that doesn't mean it has been working well everywhere. He works for the CS so I presume there isn't really any process to make him come in.

How many people do a daily 4 hour commute ?

ah ok. Why would you have to drive to school in a rural area. Im from a rural area myself - we got the bus or cycled. We werent driven. My neices and nephews do the same now. People go to the shop less due to the distance - so you do a big shop once a week probably.

Again depends on the situation but it would be wide variety of formats not just 3 days in an office and 2 days remote. Too difficult to predict. I have a few colleagues who already do versions of remote working before we had an actual policy and the days they were required to be in the office they didnt commute back and forth - they stayed over.

no they dont. Weird generalisation. The school run by car is a very city thing to be honest - very Dublin city even. They do have buses and bicycles in rural ireland you know. You can also (shock horror) walk to school.

Yes Im basing this on my personal experience of growing up in a rural area and having family still living there.

The same bus route I used to get to school my neices and nephews use now - and I grew up in the middle of nowhere

Oh pathetic altogether. Did my paperwork in Dec and submitted start of Jan.

All my electricity and broadband bills are emailed to me so it probably took about 30 mins to do. Got a refund of 50 euro, worth it for the amount of effort it involved but as you said it's a pittance in comparison to what you spend.

probably - but would they win. Probably not. Who knows.

@mcburns07

I suppose I'm not that uppity that 50 quid for half an hour or an hour even wouldn't be worth my while.

@road_high

Ye if you put it like that...