Tanaiste Leo Varadkar has warned that employees will have to honour their contracts when businesses return to the office and says it’s ‘unreasonable’ for people to be exempt for not feeling comfortable.
He reminded the public that throughout Covid there were many people continuing to travel to work in healthcare, retail, and in guards with little choice on the matter.
According to the easing of restrictions coming on September 20, at the discretion of each business, offices can begin a phased return to work.
It’s likely that some will be nervous about heading back to the office but Mr Varadkar says there is little room, legally speaking, for people to avoid the return.
He said; "There have been lots of people who have been going into work every day – bus drivers, people working in retail, people working healthcare, gardaí.
"They’ve never been able to say that I don’t feel comfortable, and I don’t think it’d be reasonable now, to say to people who have been working from home that somehow you don’t have to go back to work because you don’t feel comfortable.
"I don’t think that would be reasonable or respectful to all those people.
"So the position is, is that if you’ve signed an employment contract, you’ve to honour it."
It is likely, however, that workers will continue to share their time between home and work as the government will be passing a law that will allow employees to request remote working arrangements.
The reopening of offices will be among other restrictions easing in September, including measures on indoor and outdoor group activities, sports, arts, culture, and dance classes.
Then, should the health advice continue to allow the phased reopening, more restrictions will ease from October 22:
- Requirements for physical distancing will end
- Laws requiring mask-wearing outdoors and in indoor private settings will end
- The law requiring proof of immunity for indoor hospitality or other events will end
- Remaining restrictions on indoor and outdoor events and activities, along with those on religious or civil ceremonies, will lift
- Limits on numbers that can meet in private homes and gardens will lift
- Nightclubs will be permitted to reopen
