The Government is prioritising increased labour force participation by women measures through the National Strategy for Women and Girls 2025-2030, which was published on the 18th of November 2025, and includes a number of objectives to empower women in decision making and leadership roles, support women in and returning to the workforce and also to bring a much needed focus on sharing of unpaid caring responsibilities between women and men.
The first Action Plan under the new Strategy is currently being developed and will include actions to support working families in balancing the competing demands of family and work. The Strategy also supports flexible working options and one’s right to avail of these so that both women and men are afforded greater choice in terms of how they manage the interaction between their caring and work responsibilities.
Under the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023, there is a provision for a review of the Right to Request Flexible Working provisions. This review is currently being scoped and is due to be undertaken in the coming months. It will also include further research into what additional flexibilities could be introduced.
The Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 complements existing family leaves by providing additional flexibility to ensure that parents and carers are supported in balancing their work and family lives.
The Act introduced important entitlements for workers including five days leave for medical care purposes. It also introduced the right to request remote working for all employees and the right to request flexible working for parents and carers in line with Article 9 of the Directive EU 2019/1158.
Remote, hybrid and flexible working represent a significant opportunity for creating a more inclusive labour market and society, particularly for people with caring responsibilities, people returning to the workforce, older people and people with disabilities. This in turn provides employers with access to a larger talent pool, with remote and hybrid options representing powerful tools for staff recruitment and retention which improves economic performance and labour market access overall. The Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act 2001 gives effect to the EU part time work Directive (Council Directive 97/81/EC).
The 2001 Act provides that a part-time employee cannot be treated less favourably than a comparable full-time employee in respect of conditions of employment, unless such treatment is justified on objective grounds. It also provides that where a benefit is determined by the number of hours an employee works, it shall be on a pro-rata or proportionate basis for part-time employees. In addition, the Act provides for enforcement and redress through statutory complaint and appeal mechanisms in the workplace relations system.
The revised Code of Practice on Access to Part Time Working, which replaced the 2006 Code of Practice, was published in January 2026. The revised Code, prepared by the Workplace Relations Commission, introduces clearer and more structured guidance for employers and employees on requesting and managing part time working arrangements. The Code includes guidance on making a request for and considering a request for a move from Full-Time to Part-Time work or vice versa or seeking an increase in an employee’s working hours.
