Following the request from the Irish Minister for Enterprise, Trade, and Employment, the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) adopted a Code of Practice on the Right to Request Flexible Working and Remote Working, as per the Workplace Relations Act 2015 and the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023.
WRC consulted with various stakeholders, including trade unions, employer representative bodies, and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, aiming to provide a practical guide for employers and employees on implementing flexible and remote working arrangements, fostering a more inclusive, adaptable, and satisfying work environment.
On 30 November 2023, Eurofound published a new research report on the right to disconnect.
The report is based on a survey of employees and HR managers in Belgium, France, Italy, and Spain. It examines how the right to disconnect is implemented at the company level.
On 16 November 2023, the Fair Work Commission ruled on an employer's right to refuse a request for remote work.
The decision marks an important first step following the entry into force of the new flexible work legislation, the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay), that came into force at the beginning of the year.
Among the significant changes introduced by the law is granting the Fair Work Commission the power to decide a dispute over a flexible work request.
It aims to help employers comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018) and provides practical advice.
In ruling C-331 of 2023, Colombia's Constitutional Court declared the right to disconnect from work a human right that applies to all employees, regardless of their role and function, including those who perform public functions and those in managerial roles.
On 3 July 2023, the Supreme Court confirmed the principle that the stipulation of equal height for men and women (1.60m) as a requirement for employment constitutes indirect discrimination against women.
The same requirement is neither objectively justified nor relevant and proportional to the duties deriving from the qualification attributed.
On 3 July 2023, Law 85 converting, with amendments, the Decree Law 48/2023 on "Urgent measures for social inclusion and access to employment" was published in the Official Gazette.
It aims to ensure greater flexibility for personnel management, introduces amendments to the discipline of fixed-term employment contracts and simplifies information obligations under the Transparency Decree.