Tanáiste Leo Varadkar has said working from home should become a choice for employees after the pandemic.
The Fine Gael leader also said the Budget will include measures to support remote working.
Formally launching the ‘Make Remote Work’ campaign at Government Buildings on Monday, Mr Varadkar said the government don’t “want things to drift back to the way they were, back to the old normal.”
He said: “Essentially it’s the government saying to employers and employees that now is a good time to begin the conversation about what the return to work, the return to the modern workplace is going to look like after the pandemic.
“People are being told that they have to work from home if at all possible and that is going to change in the next couple of months, it is going to become a choice and people won’t have to work from home.
“We want that to be based on personal choice...to work from home, work from a remote hub near where they live, or what most people appear to want to do, is a blend of working where sometimes you might be in the office...other times at home.”
Joining the Tanáiste on Monday, John McEvoy of Grow Remote said a quarter of a million people used to commute for two hours every day and they shouldn't have to go back to this after the pandemic.
Mr Varadkar, who is the Minister responsible for Employment, added that the Budget will include “a package around remote working” and said the details are not yet known but he and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe are working on it, adding “and it will be to change the existing tax and expenses regime to support people who are remote working and also to help businesses.”
He said September is now looking more likely than August for a return to offices for workers.
