Guide • Compliance • 16 min read
Hybrid and remote work policy guide (incl. right to disconnect)
Design fair, compliant hybrid and remote policies for Irish, UK and EU teams, covering the right to disconnect and remote-work requests.
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Hybrid and remote working are now permanent features of the European labour market rather than temporary arrangements. A clear written policy prevents confusion and inequity, sets expectations around where and when work happens, and protects both the organisation and its people. Vague, unwritten norms tend to favour the loudest and disadvantage those with caring responsibilities.
Dasar yang baik meliputi kelayakan, hari ke pejabat yang dijangka jika ada, waktu kerjasama teras, peralatan dan perbelanjaan, keselamatan data, serta cara prestasi akan dinilai dengan adil tanpa mengira lokasi. Sandarkannya pada hasil dan bukannya kehadiran.
The right to request remote work
In Ireland, employees have a statutory right to request remote working, and employers must consider such requests through a defined process with reasons for any refusal, under the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023. There is also a right to request flexible working for those with caring responsibilities. The UK likewise gives employees a statutory right to request flexible working from day one.
Haknya ialah untuk meminta dan untuk mendapatkan permintaan dipertimbangkan dengan sewajarnya — ia bukan hak automatik untuk bekerja dari jauh. Bina proses yang jelas dan didokumenkan untuk mengendalikan permintaan secara konsisten dan dalam tempoh masa yang diperlukan, serta rekodkan rasional di sebalik keputusan.
The right to disconnect
Ireland has a Code of Practice on the Right to Disconnect, giving employees the right not to routinely work outside normal hours and not to be penalised for switching off. Several other EU countries have introduced similar measures, and the topic is increasingly on the European agenda. Remote work makes this especially important, because the boundary between home and office can dissolve entirely.
Practical measures include agreeing communication norms (for example, no expectation of after-hours replies), respecting time zones and working patterns, and leaders modelling healthy behaviour. A policy that says the right words but is contradicted by senior managers emailing at midnight will not be believed.
Kesihatan, keselamatan dan perlindungan data di rumah
Kewajipan menjaga kebajikan majikan merangkumi tempat kerja di rumah. Berikan panduan tentang menyiapkan stesen kerja yang selamat, pertimbangkan penilaian kendiri peralatan skrin paparan, dan jelaskan peralatan yang anda sediakan. Kewajipan masa bekerja masih terpakai, jadi pastikan pekerja jarak jauh boleh dan benar-benar mengambil rehat rest mereka.
Remote work also raises data-protection considerations under the GDPR: secure devices, encrypted connections, clear rules about handling personal and confidential data at home, and safe disposal of any printed material. Address these explicitly in the policy so employees know their obligations.
Menjaga hibrid supaya adil dan berhubung
Risiko budaya terbesar kerja hibrid ialah bias kedekatan — kecenderungan untuk memihak kepada mereka yang hadir secara fizikal. Lindungi daripada perkara ini dalam keputusan kenaikan pangkat, pembangunan dan pengiktirafan, dan pastikan rakan sekerja jauh mempunyai akses yang sama kepada maklumat dan peluang.
Use your HRIS to administer the policy consistently: recording work locations, managing remote-work and flexible-working requests through a documented workflow, and tracking approvals. Consistency is what makes a hybrid policy feel fair and defensible.
