Flexible Working in Ireland (2025): Trends, Legislation, and the Future of Flexible and Hybrid Work
Ireland has experienced a significant transformation in its work culture, with working arrangements such as remote work, hybrid work or flexible hours becoming increasingly prevalent. This shift supported by new technology, employee preferences and legislative changes was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent months have however seen significant shifts in how organisations are approaching flexible working in Ireland, with companies re-evaluating their policies. In this Blog, we’ll examine where flexible and hybrid working in Ireland stands today and what the future holds for this approach.
The Rise of Flexible Work
Census figures from the Central Statistics Office reported that the number of people working mainly from home increased by 173% between 2016 and 2022, from 94,955 workers to 259,467 while approximately 750,000 employees worked from home at least one day a week.
Government Legislation
- Right to Request Remote Work – In March 2024, the Irish government enacted the Work-Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023, granting all employees the right to request remote working arrangements. This legislation also introduced flexible working options specifically for parents and carers. A Code of Practice was established to guide both employers and employees in implementing these new rights. While employees have the right to request remote work, employers are not obligated to grant such requests.
- Blended Working Policy Framework – In March 2022, the Irish government introduced the Civil Service Blended Working Policy Framework, enabling remote work on a blended basis across the Civil Service. This framework aims to balance flexibility for employees with the delivery of high-quality public services.
Trends in Job Postings
In terms of job postings, data from Indeed’s 2025 Irish Jobs and Hiring Trends Report found that by December 2024, 17.5% of Irish job postings mentioned remote or hybrid work, a fourfold increase from pre-pandemic levels. This trend was particularly notable in sectors like media and communications, insurance, and software development, where over 40% of job postings offer such flexibility indicating that offering flexibility remains an important part of recruiting talent.
Employee Preferences for Flexibility
A substantial majority of Irish employees favour flexibility in their workplace. Research from Morgan McKinley’s Global Workplace Guide indicates that 92% of professionals in Ireland prefer hybrid or remote work arrangements. Notably, half of these employees would even forgo a pay raise to maintain their desired level of flexibility. The favoured working pattern for almost half of the respondents is one to two days in the office per week, with only 8% expressing a preference for a full five-day office presence. Flexibility can however mean different things for different employees with some preferring remote or hybrid working while others simply require flexibility in terms of hours worked or the ability to job-share, do a compressed work week or work part-time.
Recent Developments in Flexible and Hybrid Work
Despite the clear preference for flexible and hybrid working, some companies are encouraging increased in-office presence. The Morgan McKinley study found that 42% of companies in Ireland are urging staff to spend more time in the office. Recent months have seen significant shifts in how major Irish corporations and government agencies approached remote work with some requesting a higher frequency of visits to the office while others continue to support their their hybrid model:
PwC Ireland: The professional services firm has implemented a policy requiring staff to be in the office or at client sites at least three days a week, aligning with its UK counterpart’s emphasis on face-to-face collaboration.
Meta: Meta has reversed its previous remote work policy, now mandating increased physical presence in the office for its employees.
Department of Social Protection: This government department sought to have staff work from the office more frequently, proposing a minimum of two days per week. However, following discussions with unions, existing remote working arrangements have been retained pending further talks.
Review of Blended Working Policy Framework: In 2023, the government committed to reviewing the Blending Working Policy Framework to assess its impact on service delivery and productivity prompting some concern among Civil Servants as to the potential impact on existing remote working patterns.
Other organisations have reaffirmed their commitment to the hybrid work model:
Bank of Ireland: Announced it would continue with hybrid working by allowing employees to work remotely up to three days per week while maintaining office collaboration.
AIB: Reinforced its hybrid model, offering employees flexible schedules while requiring occasional in-person presence for team meetings and client interactions.
Softworks: Here at Softworks, employees have enjoyed the benefit of flexible working for many years and we have been strong advocates for the benefits it can deliver for attracting and retaining talent. In addition to offering flexitime, we have embraced a hybrid approach where employees balance remote and in-office work.
With Softworks Workforce Management Solution employees and managers have secure and easy access to the information they need to help organise and manage their working lives no matter where they’re working. Employees can view team calendars to see who’s working with them that day and can easily view their flexi-time or annual leave balances and submit leave requests through their Employee Self-Service App. Managers meanwhile, can reduce time spent on HR admin by using the Action Manager, a single customisable screen that keeps them informed of all HR-related activities that need their attention, from unexplained absences to annual leave that needs to be approved.
The Future of Flexible Working in Ireland
The work landscape in Ireland continues to evolve with organisations taking varied approaches. Embracing flexibility allows companies to tap into global talent, reduce operational costs, and build a more engaged workforce. For employees, it offers greater work-life balance and the chance to design a work environment that better suits their needs. Despite these benefits, flexible working presents challenges, including maintaining productivity, facilitating teamwork and managing employee well-being.
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to flexible and hybrid work, and the best policy for an organisation is one that balances employee well-being, company culture, productivity, and business goals. By regularly evaluating their approach, gathering feedback, and staying adaptable, organisations can create a flexible work model that truly benefits both their employees and their organisation.
