Do Employees Have a Right to Work From Home in Ireland?

Last updated 8 October 2026. General information only, not legal advice.

No. Employees in Ireland do not have an automatic right to work from home. Since 6 March 2024, every employee has a legal right to request remote working under the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023, and the employer must consider it fairly and answer in writing. The employer is allowed to say no, but it must give reasons.

What the law gives you: a right to request

Part 3 of the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 lets any employee ask for a remote working arrangement. The key rules are:

• You can make a request from your first day, but the arrangement cannot start until you have completed 6 months of continuous employment.
• The request should be in writing and made as soon as reasonably practicable, and at least 8 weeks before the proposed start date.
• It should set out your reasons, the proposed start date and any end date, the proposed location, and information on whether that location is suitable.
• Your employer must respond no later than 4 weeks after receiving the request. It can extend that period by up to a further 8 weeks, but must say so in writing.
• If the request is approved, a written agreement is signed. If it is refused, the employer must give you written reasons.

Employers must have regard to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) Code of Practice on the Right to Request Flexible Working and the Right to Request Remote Working, published in March 2024. The code looks at things such as whether the duties can be done remotely, whether some tasks must be done on site, and health and safety.

What happens if your employer says no or ignores you

Because the law gives a right to request rather than a right to receive, a refusal is not automatically unlawful. The question is whether the employer followed the process: considered the request, replied within the time limits, and gave written reasons. If it did not, you can bring a complaint to the WRC within 6 months of the breach. The WRC can extend this by up to a further 6 months if there was reasonable cause for the delay.

It is also worth checking your contract, staff handbook and any existing remote working policy. These may give you more than the minimum the Act requires. Our guide to the right to disconnect in Ireland covers a related right for people who work remotely.

Employer points: costs, safety and policies

Employers remain responsible for health and safety when staff work from home. There is no legislation governing the cost of remote working, so expenses are normally agreed and recorded in writing. Many employers set this out in a written policy. A self-complete Remote Working Policy template is available on this site for employers who want a starting framework to complete themselves.

If your situation is complicated, for example a dispute over a refusal or a change to your contract, you may wish to speak to a solicitor. You can search the Law Society’s Find a Solicitor directory, or join the site’s no-fee solicitor service waiting list.

Frequently asked questions

Can my employer refuse my remote working request?

Yes. An employer can refuse a remote working request, but it must consider the request under the Code of Practice and give you its reasons in writing.

How long does an employer have to reply to a remote working request?

An employer must respond as soon as reasonably practicable and no later than 4 weeks after receiving the request. It can extend that by up to a further 8 weeks if it tells you in writing.

Can I request remote working in my first six months?

Yes. You can submit a request from day one, but an approved arrangement cannot start until you have completed 6 months of continuous employment.

Who pays for home working expenses in Ireland?

There is no legislation governing remote working costs. They are usually agreed between employer and employee and set out in the contract or a remote working policy.

Where do I complain if my employer ignores my remote working request?

You can bring a complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) within 6 months of the breach, which can be extended by up to a further 6 months for reasonable cause.

Sources: Citizens Information: Right to request remote working; Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Guidance for working remotely; WRC Code of Practice; Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023, s.21.

OnlineLegalServices.ie is not a solicitor’s practice and does not give legal advice. For advice on your own situation, speak to a solicitor.