Joint Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has published its pre-legislative scrutiny report on the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022

Speaking on the report, Deputy Kathleen Funchion, Cathaoirleach of the Committee said “I welcome the opportunity for the Committee to engage in the pre-legislative Scrutiny process for this important Bill and I support many of the provisions it contains. The Bill, which transposes an EU Directive on work-life balance, is timely and welcome. Covid-19 created a greater need for flexible working arrangements. Drawing on the lessons learnt from that period should be key to our approach to issues around caring, disability and equality going forward.”

Deputy Funchion said “As discussed in this report, flexible working arrangements offer many benefits for employees and employers and are important tools for better enabling women and people with disabilities to work, for promoting gender equality, and work life balance and improving child and family wellbeing. The newly published Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment evaluation of Remote Working found that remote working, for instance, improves labour market outcomes for both people with disabilities and caring responsibilities and is likely to have a positive impact on the Irish economy and society generally.”

The Deputy added “The Committee make a number of recommendations aimed at enhancing leave and flexible work policies further, in line with best practice.  It is important to note that the initiatives proposed under this Bill must be met with improvements in the provision of accessible and affordable childcare and other care services.”

The full report can be read here

The following are some of the recommendations that were made by the Committee in relation to the topic:

·       10 days domestic violence leave must be provided for.

·       There should be a statutory right to reasonable access to flexible working for all.

·       The Bill should recognise and allow for applications for a wide variety of work arrangements, including, but not limited to, remote working and compressed hours.

·       A payment or allowance should be provided for leave for medical care purposes in all cases.

·       Lone parents should be entitled to double the amount of leave for medical care purposes, to account for the absent parent, i.e., 10 days.

·       An additional form of paid leave for parents called ‘sick child leave’ should be introduced.

You can read more information on the work of the Joint Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth