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.
Å sette spillereglene
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.
En god policy dekker kvalifikasjon, forventede kontordager hvis noen, kjerne-timer for samarbeid, utstyr og utgifter, datasikkerhet og hvordan prestasjon vil bli vurdert rettferdig uavhengig av lokasjon. Forankre den i resultater fremfor tilstedeværelse.
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.
Rettigheten er å be om og få forespørselen vurdert på riktig måte — det er ikke en automatisk rett til å arbeide eksternt. Etabler en tydelig, dokumentert prosess for å håndtere forespørsler konsekvent og innen de påkrevde tidsfristene, og dokumenter begrunnelsen bak beslutningene.
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.
Helse, sikkerhet og personvern hjemme
En arbeidsgivers omsorgsplikt strekker seg til hjemmearbeidsplassen. Gi veiledning om å sette opp en trygg arbeidsstasjon, vurder en egenevaluering for skjermarbeidsutstyr, og vær tydelig på hvilket utstyr dere stiller med. Arbeidstidsforpliktelsene gjelder fortsatt, så sørg for at fjernarbeidere kan og faktisk tar sine rest pauser.
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.
Å holde hybrid arbeidsform rettferdig og sammenkoblet
Den største kulturelle risikoen ved hybridarbeid er nærhetsskjevhet — tendensen til å favorisere dem som er fysisk til stede. Vern mot dette i beslutninger om forfremmelse, utvikling og anerkjennelse, og sørg for at kolleger som jobber eksternt har lik tilgang til informasjon og muligheter.
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.
