Sinn Féin MLA Caoimhe Archibald called for the economy committee to undertake an inquiry on remote working.

The party’s economy spokesperson said:

“Over the past number of weeks we’ve all had to adopt new ways of working, these have both greats benefits but also challenges.

“It is likely many of us will continue to work from home on a full or part-time basis over the next number of months and for some, these new ways of working may be adopted or change how businesses operate on a permanent basis.

“Remote working has the potential to bring about better work life balance and improve regional balance, as people commute less and spend more time in their own communities; reducing commutes also has environmental benefits reducing emissions from traffic.

“However, consideration must be given to clear guidance for both employers and employees and any legislative requirements in that regard, including the ‘right to switch off’.

“My party colleague John O’Dowd and I therefore proposed that the Economy Committee look at this issue in detail through a committee micro inquiry.”