Can I request flexible or remote working in Ireland?
Yes — you can request it, but it's a right to ask and be properly considered, not an automatic right to get it. Under the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023, you can request remote or flexible working from your first day, though you need 6 months' continuous service before any approved arrangement can start. The right to request remote working is open to all employees; the right to request flexible working (reduced or compressed hours, job-share, remote) applies to parents of a child under 12 (or under 16 if the child has a disability) and to carers. A request must be in writing, made at least 8 weeks before the proposed start, and the employer must respond within 4 weeks. In short: yes to requesting, with the employer free to refuse on genuine business grounds.
📋 The rules
- Request from day one; arrangement starts after 6 months
- Remote requests are open to all employees
- Flexible requests are for parents (child under 12) and carers
- Request in writing, at least 8 weeks ahead
- Employer must respond within 4 weeks
🔓 Exceptions
- A 26-week break and return doesn't reset the 6-month service clock
- An approved arrangement can be ended for genuine business reasons, with notice
- You can ask to return to your original arrangement early
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Complaints go to the WRC and must be made within 6 months of the breach (extendable to 12 for reasonable cause). A WRC adjudicator can order compensation, but cannot order the employer to grant the arrangement — redress is for failing to follow the proper process and timelines, not for refusing the request itself. You're protected from victimisation for making a request, and employers and employees must have regard to the WRC Code of Practice. Beware a myth: "I have a legal right to work from home" is false — you have a right to request remote working and to a properly considered, timely answer; the employer can lawfully refuse on genuine business grounds. To request: put it in writing 8 weeks ahead, setting out the arrangement, start date and duration.
📎 Official sources
- Citizens Information — right to request flexible working →
- Citizens Information — right to request remote working →
- WRC — Code of Practice on flexible and remote working →
❓ Frequently asked
Can I ask to work from home?
Yes. Under the Work Life Balance Act 2023, all employees can request remote working, and you can make the request from your first day, though an approved arrangement can only start once you have six months' continuous service. It's a right to request and have your request properly considered, not a guarantee of being allowed to.
Who can request flexible working?
The right to request flexible working — such as reduced or compressed hours, job-sharing or remote work — applies to parents of a child under 12, or under 16 if the child has a disability or long-term illness, and to carers of a specified person. The separate right to request remote working applies to all employees.
How do I make a request?
You should make your request in writing as soon as reasonably practicable and at least eight weeks before the proposed start date, setting out the arrangement you want, the start date and how long it will last. Your employer must respond with a decision within four weeks, though they can extend that by up to eight weeks if needed.
Can my employer refuse?
Yes. The law gives you a right to request and to have your request properly and promptly considered, but the employer can refuse on genuine business grounds. If they don't follow the correct process or timelines, you can complain to the Workplace Relations Commission, but it can't order them to grant the arrangement.
What if my employer ignores the rules?
If your employer fails to follow the proper process — for example by not responding within the timeframe — you can bring a complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission within six months of the breach. The WRC can award compensation for the procedural failure, and you're protected from being penalised for making a request.
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