Much like the rest of the rest of the world, Ireland has seen a shift in workplace expectations as remote work, hybrid work and flexible hours become increasingly prominent. Initially becoming more prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic, this transformation is continuing as employee preferences remain in favour of fewer office hours. This is now being reflected in policy and legislation, reformed to meet these demands.
Morgan McKinley reported in their Global Workplace Guide that 92% of professionals in Ireland prefer hybrid or remote work arrangements. This reflects a preference for non-traditional workplace practices, however, McKinley also claims that half of those who prefer hybrid options would forgo a pay raise to maintain their desired level of flexibility. This marks flexibility as an advantage for employers looking for top talent but are unable to offer competitive salaries. However, it is critical to note that flexibility can mean different things to different people with some seeing it as remote, hybrid, hours worked or simply the ability to job share. For the majority, two days in the office per week is most desirable with just 8% of respondents having a preference for a full five-day office-based workweek.
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. This demonstrates a major shift from primarily in-office working to at least partially online. These statistics demonstrate that not only are employee preferences changing but so is employer flexibility as hybrid options become more prominent. Indeed reported in their 2025 Irish Jobs and Hiring Trends Report that by December 2024, 17.5% of job listings mentioned remote or hybrid work, a 300% increase from pre-pandemic levels, with some key sectors like media, insurance and software development having over 40% of job postings offer this flexibility.
Our poll revealed similar findings of employers offering packages that reflect this demand.
Government legislation is now reforming to meet this changing environment. Most notably, in 2024, the Irish government enacted the Work-Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023, which granted all employees the right to request remote work. It is important to note that this legislation doesn’t mean employers are obliged to fulfil this request. It also allowed flexible working arrangements for parents and carers in particular. A Code of Practice was created to accompany these new rights and aid employers and employees in implementing them.
However, while many organisations have reaffirmed their commitment to the hybrid approach, some companies are encouraging an increased in-office presence in the post-pandemic era despite the clear preference from employees. Morgan McKinley found that 42% of companies in Ireland are urging staff to spend more time in the office. Companies including, PwC and Meta have both implemented policies to mandate increased in-office participation. Some companies argue this is to increase productivity and company culture that has been sacrificed over the last few years.
While the future is unpredictable in terms of the future of work, it is clear that organisations will hope to strike the balance that maintains efficiency and productivity while still ensuring employees have the flexibility they desire. For employers, offering flexibility attracts top talent, reduces operational costs and has the potential to improve productivity in some industries. For employees, they get to enjoy a greater work-life balance. However, there are challenges to this new way of working as productivity, culture and employee health may be compromised in the long run, which may lead to a partially hybrid future.
