Ireland made the biggest jump to remote working

In 2019, just 7% of Ireland’s workforce said they “usually” work from home. But this had surged to 25% in 2022, the highest increase of any country, in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic.

Ireland has adapted to remote working at a greater pace than anywhere else in Europe with three times as many people working from home last year compared to 2019, new analysis suggests.

BNP Paribas Real Estate Ireland said that its analysis of Eurostat data shows Ireland coming out on top when it comes to its workforce adopting remote working along with Malta, the Netherlands, Germany and France.

In 2019, just 7% of Ireland’s workforce said they “usually” work from home. But this had surged to 25% in 2022, the highest increase of any country, in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic.

“Ireland’s adaptability throughout the pandemic has been remarkable in many ways, not least the ease with which businesses and employees alike adjusted their working models,” director of research John McCartney said.

“Of course this has had knock-on implications for commercial property. Over time remote working has enabled employers to adopt hot-desking and rostering systems which reduce the amount of office space they need to carry per employee. In the absence of jobs growth this would subtract from the demand for office accommodation.” Mr McCartney said that Ireland is one of the EU’s most service-driven economies and has created servce sector jobs at more than twice the average rate in the EU since the pandemic.

Its analysis added that 27.9% of Ireland’s employees work in desk-based sectors compared to the EU average of 24.6%. The number of desk-based jobs in Ireland has also risen by 15% since Covid struck in the first quarter of 2020, compared to an EU average of 6.9%.

The impact of remote working on the demand for office space has also been “somewhat mitigated” by a shift in occupier preferences, Mr McCartney said.

“In line with a wider European trend, Irish organisations are typically now seeking less, but better quality office space. This is driven by sustainability objectives and a need to optimise the employee experience in a tight labour market.” Under the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023, all employees have a legal right to request remote working after having six months’ continuous service with their employer. As per the law, employers must respond to this request within four weeks and give reasons if the request is being refused.

As well as large swathes of the workforce working from home, the Government estimates that 24,000 people use remote-working hubs on a daily basis. There are around 300 such hubs around the country with broadband access and other facilities. The average occupancy rate across the network is running at 75% but does not include remote workers who may have made other arrangements.

Employers, however, have been warned that they should have up-to-date policies as privacy concerns grow for companies who have staff working in such spaces.