Let's Rebuild the Workplace
Never before have we had such a blank slate to shape our workplaces to suit the needs of all stakeholders. Office workers have kept businesses afloat over the last 2 years and a half from their own homes. They have proven that the model where everybody works from a central office is both unnecessary and outdated. Workers have shown that targets can be met while working from home and that productivity expectation can be exceeded while avoiding the commute to the office.??
According to the National Remote Working Survey by NUI Galway in April 2022, shows 95% believe working remotely makes life easier and if their future remote working preferences were not facilitated, 30% of all respondents indicated that they will change job, with 33% indicating they may change jobs even if it meant a pay cut.
Creating a more flexible workplace creates?opportunities?for diversity.?New opportunities arise for people who traditionally faced barriers to entry to the workplace. People with disabilities?may have been prevented from working due to inaccessible transport or the additional exertion of a commute on top of a workday. Parents?and carers?battling?rigid?childcare collection times,?and long commutes adding to their?workday?could benefit from remote working.??
Giving options as to where workers fulfil their role allows all workers to maximise their quality of life and gain more quality time each day. This increases worker wellbeing. Eighty-six per cent of workers reported that life is made easier by remote work.
With permanent flexibility, employees who struggled with the urban housing crisis will benefit from the option of purchasing a property in a more affordable area. Proximity to work no longer has to be the main criteria when searching for a home.?
Employers can benefit from employees working wholly or partly from home, by needing less investment in office space, and by?lower overheads. They gain the?option of?implementing hot desk systems in a smaller space.?Workers can use hot desks and meeting rooms when in the office, but there need not be a workstation for each individual employee.??
Employers also benefit by attracting candidates from a larger pool of diverse talent by offering the flexibility of the workplace and are viewed overall as a desirable employer. It is arguable that flexibility can give smaller businesses an edge in recruiting. In fact, the NUIG study shows of those who could work remotely, 52% were currently working hybrid, 40% fully remotely, and only 8% were fully on-site.
When introducing a permanent, flexible model of work it is essential for employers to take some steps to ensure they are acting in a manner that protects employees and protects themselves from?risk.?By risk, civil claims arising in personal injury or under employment legislation, and prosecution by the?Health and Safety Authority. I also mean the risk of lost productivity, unhappy workers, and risk to personal data.?
The first step is to review policies. A remote working policy may need to be introduced, and other policies such as the?data protection?policy or the?computer usage policy?may need to be amended to reflect the new reality
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Robust communication channels need to be established so as to avoid grievances and bullying complaints that might arise from workers feeling excluded or isolated, or arising from inter-personal?issues. A communications policy should be considered, together with training on?bullying and harassment?and?effective communications in the workplace.??
An important thing to consider is working hours and the recording of working time; while it may suit both?to work unusual hours, neither party can opt out of the obligations of the Organisation of Working Time Act. It provides?for a cap on weekly working hours and?that particular breaks between working hours. It also obliges employers to keep a record of the hours worked by each employee; if the work system does?not?automatically record this, employers should ensure that employees are completing timesheets.?
Other factors to consider are?tax implications that arise if the employee is not working in Ireland and any investment which may be required to ensure that workers have the appropriate tools to do their job. Employers must also have a policy in place to deal with situations where the workplace proposed by the employee is not appropriate, such as where there is insufficient privacy to deal with confidential matters.?
Importantly, employers must note that?when the worker is working remotely, their home becomes their workplace in terms of health and safety legislation.??The Health, Safety and Welfare at?Work?Act?2005?remains?equally?applicable to employers when the employee works remotely.?
The employer’s duties under that Act are to:?
EazySAFE?assists employers in fulfilling their statutory obligations by?offering?Home?Workstation and VDU Assessments?and?training?on all aspects of workplace health and safety,?as well as support in?creating and?updating?the?Safety Statement, and?Handbook.?A?Health and Safety Assessment?will identify the specific risks for the workplace and offers solutions in mitigation. The Safety Statement and Handbooks are required documentation, that allows all workers to know what is expected of them. It should be provided when on-boarding and accessible at all times.
EzySAFE?can work with you to help design a safe and flexible workplace, that will meet the needs of both employers and workers.??