A former trade union official has said the right to work from home should become law in Northern Ireland.
umper Graham’s comments come as the government considers plans to introduce new legislation in the post-Covid era.
It would mean that people could continue to work from home once restrictions are lifted if they so wished, while employers would be legally required to prove it was essential for staff to attend the workplace.
A spokesperson for the Department for the Economy said its focus was on employment and economic recovery.
Mr Graham, ex-chief of the 41,000-strong Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (NIPSA), told the Belfast Telegraph that passing such laws would leave no room for ambiguity.
“There are some regulations on flexible working that have emanated from Europe, but they didn’t really go far enough and certainly weren’t envisaged for dealing with Covid and the post-Covid recovery,” he said.
“Anything that can be introduced that gives people statutory protections to allow them to avail of a wider choice in their working arrangements would be helpful on a number of fronts in terms of the recovery itself, individuals’ own needs and well-being, and also in delivering care for dependants.
“If people are going to have equal access and equal rights you do need the statutory provision because to do it on a voluntary basis would mean that some employers won’t do it all and some will.
“If you have it enshrined in statute it makes it available and open access for everyone.”
The government will consult on the plan over the summer, which would boost provisions for people to continue to work from home if they wished.
Employers would need to show it was essential for staff to attend the workplace in order to prevent them from working flexibly.
The Department for the Economy told this newspaper that its priorities were employment and economic recovery.
“Our current focus is on making sure people have jobs to go to,” a spokesman said.
“That is why the delivery of our Economic Recovery Action Plan is our first and foremost priority right now.
“Flexible working delivers many benefits for both employees and employers alike, however, it cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach.
“Many employers have already adjusted their operating models significantly with new ways of working already embedded across many organisations.”
The spokesperson added: “Employment law in Northern Ireland is of course a devolved matter and whilst our immediate focus is on economic recovery, if that requires further employment provision in due course, we will certainly consider that.”
The revelation comes after details of Cabinet Office documents examining how life will look after the final step of Boris Johnson’s roadmap out of restrictions were leaked.
The papers set out three potential options for work from home messaging: telling the public to go back to work, remaining neutral or encouraging home working, Politico reported.
A senior Whitehall official has reportedly dismissed the idea that work from home guidance could stay in place long-term, saying: “I don’t think that is where we will end up, although it’s still very early. The ambition is to get back to more normality.”
