Irish employers are finding ways to broaden their offering to employees when it comes to working options, new research has found.
It comes after several organisations across the State have continued remote or hybrid working following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions.
According to research from CIPD Ireland, which was carried out in conjunction with the Kemmy Business School at University Limerick, 46 per cent of organisations are planning to increase hybrid working options.
Meanwhile, 26 per cent are planning to increase flexible working options.
Some 12 per cent of employers expect to offer the option of fully-remote working to their teams, while 67 per cent anticipate staff will work two or three days on-site in the future.
In an effort to accommodate the needs of employees, 43 per cent of organisations have a system in place where the team decides how the remote and flexible working arrangement will work for them
Director of CIPD Ireland, Mary Connaughton, said the research points to the potential added benefits of remote or hybrid working.
“[Some] 41 per cent of respondents said absenteeism increased, while 33 per cent reported a drop in rates in 2021,” Ms Connaughton said.
“But interestingly, organisations with a higher number of staff working remotely recorded a decrease in absenteeism, while those with a predominantly onsite workforce saw an increase in absenteeism.
“After Covid-19-related issues, the next most common cause of absence related to work-related stress and mental health.
“For this reason, our message is that effective interventions and culture change to address stress and mental health are of increasing importance.”
Research by CIPD Ireland found 71 per cent of organisations implemented an online wellbeing or health initiative, while 67 per cent said wellbeing is on the agenda of senior leaders in their organisation.
Ms Connaughton also noted how figures around productivity are encouraging for employers providing remote working options.
“Almost 80 per cent of respondents said that productivity had either increased or remained unchanged in 2021,” she said.
“Given the upheaval caused by Covid-19 once again last year, it’s testament to the efforts from workers and businesses to keep enterprise on track in the face of significant adversity.
“It’s little wonder then, that confidence is growing among employers that remote, flexible or hybrid strategies can provide solutions that work for all levels of an organisation.
“The key is to design a system that works for your organisation and I welcome the figure showing over 40% of employers are bringing teams together on that.”
