Irish workers fear pay cuts for working remotely

Staff also worry working remotely permanently will impact career progression

Of the 1,200 workers who were surveyed, the majority (85%) are in favour of the introduction of a four-day working week.

More than half of Irish workers are concerned that choosing remote working will create inequality and impact their career progression, a new survey has found.

Of those workers who fear there will be a negative impact, almost 40% are concerned that they would be asked to take a pay cut if they work remotely full time and 60% worry that it could impact their career progression.

The survey, carried out by Matrix Recruitment, found that 52% are fearful that they will be forgotten about during meetings if they choose to work remotely full time, with 48% worried their employer will consider their decision to work remotely a reflection of their commitment to the company.

"As people begin a phased return to work, feelings of dread and heightened concerns around modified workplaces, the prospect of hot desking, the daily commute, along with the prospect of permanent remote working are commonplace," Breda Dooley, senior manager at Matrix Recruitment said.

"Many workers have enjoyed a better work/life balance over the past 18 months working from home during restrictions and it’s understandable that those who want to continue to work from home, full-time, or part-time, are worried that it will negatively impact their career as we figure out this new way of working post-lockdown.”

Of the 1,200 workers who were surveyed, the majority (85%) are in favour of the introduction of a four-day working week. 

Of those, almost all say that it will boost employee health and wellbeing (85%) and create a better work/life balance (86%). 

More than half (57%) are of the view that most people could fit five days work into four.

However, of the 15% not in favour of a four-day working week, almost one in four (38%) stated that it would create a very pressurised environment. 

More than one third (36%) of respondents said that it would results in longer working days.

“On the surface, a four-day working week has plenty of appeal and can bring many benefits, but such a fundamental change is a highly complex process and there would be huge challenges in trying to make this model work to suit every job and every industry,” said Breda.

The survey also found that more was expected of working mothers during the pandemic with 36% of respondents saying it had created workplace inequality between those with and those without children. 

Of that cohort, 38% were of the view that more work was expected of employees without children.

However, over half (54%) said that more was expected of mothers when it came to juggling childcare and work during Covid-19 restrictions.