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IT’S BEEN ANOTHER rollercoaster year in the world of remote work. High profile companies announced a return to office mandates, while Ireland recorded the fastest growth in remote working in the EU.
The average commute time is on the rise, remote work has led to more women in the workforce and employees would still rather take a pay cut than give up working remotely.
To mark the end of another year of remote working, let’s take a look at how the conversation has evolved in 2023 — from the good to the bad, to the downright ugly.
One of the biggest good news stories to come out this year is that remote working is good for the planet. People who work remotely every day produce less than half the greenhouse gas emissions of office workers, which is great news at a time when Irish emissions from transport are on the rise. We had more good news in the Government’s Summer Economic Statement which found that more women are joining or returning to the workforce, driven in part by the availability of remote work.
The ‘Return to Office’ dominated the conversation about remote work during 2023. In August, Zoom — which recorded massive profits during the pandemic by enabling people to connect online — caused a tsunami of headlines about the ‘death of remote work’ when it announced that it wanted staff to come back to work in person. But overall, levels of remote work have remained stable in 2023 — good news for employees who say they would rather leave their jobs, even if it means taking a pay cut — if they can no longer work remotely.
If 2023 has taught us anything about remote work, it’s that it’s all still pretty complicated. A few short years ago working on site was the only option available for most employees and very few people questioned out loud whether this was a good or a bad thing.
In just over three short years we have gone from everyone together in person to a mish-mash of fully remote, hybrid, flexible hours, three days a week at home, one day a month in the office, working from co-working spaces, hybrid meetings and virtual team events. It’s no wonder employers are struggling to figure things out. And it’s not helped by all the conflicting information that has come out this year.
Take the study from Stanford University for example, which found big differences in perceptions between employees who thought productivity was higher when working remotely and managers who thought it was lower. CEOs are still not convinced, with 63 per cent predicting a full return to in-office work by the end of 2026, according to research by KPMG. Many high-profile CEOs have expressed major doubts publicly this year, with one calling remote work ‘a bunch of bullshit’.
Possibly the most disappointing news to come out this year is that more people are commuting to work and the average commute time has increased, according to the Central Statistics Office.
The potential for remote work to stop the commute, give people more time to spend at home rather than in their cars, and reduce carbon emissions at the same time is huge and should be a major priority as we head into the new year.
Working remotely has long been touted as being great for work-life balance. But this year we saw stories about remote workers getting fatter, becoming more lonely and isolated, and even developing a hunched back and gnarled fingers from too much time sitting at their home desks. Social isolation, burnout, difficulties disconnecting and pressure to be always available online are all challenges facing remote workers and their employers as we look ahead to 2024.
There is still a long way to go before a consensus is reached on the benefits of remote work. At Grow Remote we know from our work with employers that the business benefits of remote work are not automatic nor will they just happen organically. However, we have seen first-hand the positive impacts when businesses invest time and resources into developing intentional remote working policies.
If remote employees sit at their desks all day long and have no social interaction, then they may well end up like ‘Anna’, the hunchback of working from home. But across Ireland, communities of remote workers are addressing social isolation and maintaining healthy lifestyles by getting together for park runs, walking groups, kayaking, table tennis and lots of other social activities.
In 2023, we have seen the good side of remote work, but also the downsides and challenges. If we have learned one thing about remote work this year, it’s that there is still a lot we have to learn. We need to face the challenges with new energy and positivity as we head into a new year of working remotely.
Joanne Mangan is the Communications Manager with Grow Remote, a social enterprise that offers fully-funded training and support for employers on the transition to remote, and facilitate social events for remote workers in their local communities.
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So what day would he like…
@In the paper: was hoping coppers would have a bit more standing room, he better not p-iss off the teachers!
Lol
@ThatLJD: why do public servants get abused
@john mc carthy: I can add in some racist and or sexist stuff etc as well for balance if you’d like! Wasn’t a slight in public sector at all.
@john mc carthy: I can add in some racist and or sexist stuff etc as well for balance if you’d like! Wasn’t a slight on the public sector at all, apologies if you felt that way.
@ThatLJD: Don’t mind the teachers, Nurses are far more important dealing with lives.
@Murf: and how do nurses become nurses? Go to school maybe?
@In the paper: Isn’t that mentioned in the article above and the reason why?
@In the paper: Saturday apparently..
@In the paper: I almost died on a Saturday. So I would have been ok. Lep you depp
If he just agreed to give them their well deserved pay rise there would be no need to strike , no problems for the Tds and ministers getting their pay rise god forbid that they wouldn’t be looked after and funnily enough they’re on strike for a good few years
@Finbarr Whelan:
Miss Piggy will get his just deserts in the euro elections in May. The clown is incapable of an action that would improve the life of any Irish citizen. Neither he or any of his government are worth what they pay themselves.
@Finbarr Whelan: it’s actually pay restoration, not a pay rise!
Nurses who are striking definitely have my support. They do a great job.
@Just Some Guy: 99% of people do a good job. Private sector and their workers repair the economy and the Public Sector want all the Governments increased tax take. If we lowered tax everyone would get a bit but selfish Public Sector want it all.
@alan: sure don’t us public sector workers repair the economy too with the high vat we are paying on our Lamborghinis etc
@alan: pathetic comment really
@Seaniecp: No they don’t pay real tax. They are paid by tax and therefor the tax they pay is only recycled tax. Public Sector make no contribution to the running of the Country.
@alan: your view on tax is a bit mad. They pay the same as anyone else. Regardless from where their salary comes from it doesn’t make it nul and void. And no contribution?…ha they only provide the services that literally help ‘The running of the country’
@Seaniecp: I should have said no financial contribution. We could just as easily keep their wages the same and remove the tax part of their pay slip and nothing would change, no one would notice because they make no financial contribution as it is.
@alan: you haven’t a clue
@alan: I think you kept your head under water too long when bobbing for apples.
@Barra O Brien: I don’t know what I’m talking about and I must have brain damage? Is this really how you deal with people you cant argue with? call them names and say they are mentally ill? What part of my comment was wrong in your opinion and why?
@alan: lad. Take an economics class. Or even better. I hope I wake up tomorrow and your the minister for finance. Keep my salary the same and remove my tax contribution. Excellent choice. You might of had a semi decent point if you said to lower their salary by them amount of tax paid and then don’t charge tax. But even so. That still doesn’t really work.
@Seaniecp: The last part of your comment is what I meant. You are either a tax payer or tax taker, If the Government collect 1000 euro and pays your wages of 1000 euro – 25% tax the Government now has 250 left.
If the Government collect 1000 euro and pays your wages of 750 euro and you don’t pay tax the Government still has 250 left.
@alan: if I have to keep correcting I’m and adding to what point your trying to make to help you then you don’t really have a grasp on what you are talking about. Plus it’s more complicated then what your saying. There’s more to it.
@Seaniecp: You didn’t correct me you just misunderstood me. The only reason the Public Sector pay the tax is because they couldn’t get deductions on housing, college etc… You just don’t want to except the truth that Public Sector workers had no hand in creating the extra Government income that the Nurses and other public workers are now trying to keep all for themselves.
@alan: how can you understand someone when they aren’t wording their point correctly. You said ‘could keep their pay the same’ then agreed when I corrected that. Anyway. I don’t think you have a notion of what your on about. Just some sort of blind bias. Good night sir. It’s late.
@alan: A nurse might explain to you the difference between mental health and brain damage.
@alan: this isn’t a bunch of paper pushing time waster civil servants we’re talking about here.
These are nurses and midwives. They provide an essential and critical service for people!
@alan: Typical reply from somebody who just PS bashes. They are not looking for a wage increase. They are looking to get their pay restored towards what it was and to keep hold of the staff that are there. They pay the same rates of tax as everybody else.
I’m saddened that he’s still In power.
@Pius Flynn: I’m saddened that the government f$ck off for the summer and christmass. But still manage to feel they deserve to give themselves a pay rise. Bloody nurses hey!!
Out of touch from the spin Taoiseach
Exactly! It would in its h0le have the same impact on a weekend! Go out on strike on Wednesday AND Thursday! You don’t go on strike NOT to get a reaction!! Listen to the nurses instead of spinning tripe to the media!
The people of Ireland were also saddened when you and those 166 vegetables in the dail we elected, all decided to give yourselves a 5k pay rise Prince vanity socks lifes not fair prince socky, pay the nurses a decent wage and this will be all sorted out.
@Tomás Ó Tnúthail: except that ‘the people’ of Ireland’ elected each and every one of them. Seriously.
@EvieXVI: , less than 33% voted for the parasites.
The half wig still doesn’t realise the health service is a 24 hour 365 day a week service, you can give birth, get sick or die in any of the 7 days of the week.
Pay them properly Leo & Co, treat them with Respect, Give them better working Conditions, Open up closed Wards in hospitals, Give proper Financial Supports for Care in homes ( esp for elderly, so more beds freed up), Get Nurses back ‘ NURSING’ not endless Form- Filling …etc Not Rocket Science..
@Margate: also, there is potential here to put something in place to link to HIQA and improve quality. The government could introduce an exchange scheme whereby they offer cash in exchange for celebrations/ Cadbury’s Roses/insert confectionery name here. If nurses do a good job they get plenty of these, it’s a well known fact, too many of them I hear, so the government could essentially buy them from them! It’s a win win really!
Its sad that a Taoiseach who worked in the medical sector turns his back on his former colleagues.
Pathetic excuse of a leader.
@Trevor Hayden: I’m not actually sure he did work, I think he maybe qualified, probably realised he might have to do some work and then was like… I’m off to become a TD, no work more pay, plus I can indulge in my real passion, myself!
@Trevor Hayden: he’s turned his back on all of us. just in it for the money
@ThatLJD: I have from a very reliable source that Lieo was actually one of the union reps for the doctors at Connolly,And he be jumping up.and down if they didn’t get paid some allowance.
@Dave Byrne: union rep? So not too distant from not working then either!
@ThatLJD: this is true. He did his internship and fled to politics
Well done to the nurses. Well deserved strike! Ambulance service close to a strike also. €25,000 a year is all new paramedics are paid. Health service needs to change.
Trying to make nurses be the baddies. What a waste of space he is
simple = address the problem. i’m no politician but i would say that’s the way leo. you need a new spin doc
So a newly qualified nurse earns €29,056 per annum and a newly appointed taoiseach earns €185,350 + every type of quango expense budget going, any amount of annual leave especially over the Christmas season, free trips to Africa…..
@Robert Moore: different job , different salary.
Toaiseach is basically CEO of ireland with $50 billion budget to manage
@Mumpsimus: Well then maybe we should get to pick who gets the job. Someone qualified for it for a start.
@Rob Cahill: How do you qualify to be a Taoiseach? Irish people will always moan, it doesn’t matter who’s in the hot seat
Just for information purposes even though nurses are going on strike, they are not withdrawing their services. Each hospital is busy drawing up rosters of staff that will be volunteering to cover essential services. Granted all elective surgery, outpatient appointments etc will have to be rescheduled but all other patients, emergencies etc will be covered by striking staff who will NOT be paid for this work. So even though you will see nurses on the picket line outside hospitals their colleagues will be busy inside the same hospitals volunteering to care for seriously ill patients, emergency surgery etc for NO pay. You don’t see this kind of caring attitude in any other industry.
As someone who claims to be a doctor, he should know that weekends are when hospitals, staff and therefore patient care are put under most strain.
@Philip Kavanagh: Not true. More elective surgeries and day cases on Monday to Friday.
@Darren McCormack: It is completely true Darren. If you have ever worked as a nurse or a doctor in a hospital over the weekend, then you would know that it is when care for inpatients is under most strain.
@Philip Kavanagh: Maybe that’s because of the way the system is set up. Skeleton consultancy staff at weekends. I believe that a mid week strike will affect more people because this is usually when surgery or out patient services take place. I’m not arguing for or against either. I think the purpose of a strike is to cause hardship so people understand and appreciate the value of our nurses. Having to strike on any day is abhorrent and I believe that nurses should be paid more.
@Darren McCormack: Inpatients are the sickest and most vulnerable patients. By striking at the weekend the nurses would be doing more harm. Leo Varadkar, as a supposed doctor, should know that. Instead he is trying to deflect blame for his own miserable performance as a health minister and Taoiseach.
This is the type of smug numpty we have running the country. Thank you so much fffg voters.
@Robert Moore: Yeah thats helpful, blame ordinary people who have nothing to do with running the country, also anyone with a brain cell can tell you that none of our political parties are qualified to run a sweet shop let alone a country
I don’t know how I am going to sleep tonight, perhaps we should get some ce scheme type of thing going to provide backup staff.. But really… Nurses just broke my heart doing this over the top action! Making Simons job harder, plus mine!
@Socky Varadkar: Is there a lease or is it a casual agreement?
There such a nuisance, people, homes, children, health, disability, elderly. Jesus just ordinary people the citizens.
So instead of being at work he’s swaning around Africa evading all the problems at home.
They where thinking about having a strike over the Christmas Leo but sure then you told them all they had to work and shouldn’t even be taking holidays so they held it off a few weeks. You should just take over doing the roster for the entire health service you complete knob
it will have the biggest impact, but not sure to resource changes to nurses, but because consultants and surgeons will not be able to perform without nurses, whereas on weekends, most of these for not schedule operations. if you have to have a strike on a week day, ensure that postponed operation so not get paid, and reallocate these to the weekend. As critical patients are covered, the risk to life (of delayed ops) should not be affected massively, but the point of the strike will still be made.
it is a very dignified approach to the strike by nurses, in spite of their unions, and the taoiseach should not comment, unless he also offers a solution.
@Gulliver Foyle: The most dangerous time to be in hospital is the weekends, skeleton staff and no surgery. Dont get suddenly ill as they have to get whoever is on call in.
Garreth would want to fact check a bit better. Student nurses and midwives do not earn €14k ‘a year’ they only earn this money in their final year when they are working during an internship period before registering! For over three years which include substantial clinical placement they earn NOTHING!
Solidarity with nurses in Ireland from an Irish nurse in the UK!
@JP Gilmore-Kavanagh: Have pointed this out on 2 different articles and they haven’t corrected themselves
This is leo just getting a dig in at the nurses, pathetically trying to make them the enemy of the public. Same tactic he uses for everything else, i remember he tried the same trick with the gardai.
Nurses deserve all the payrise they are due. The backbone of society. Sure haven’t I been seen to by them on numerous occasions. Missing a thumb and had one or two farming accidents. Aiming for the bubble bath in my twighlight years so they’ll deserve the payrise for that eventuallity alone!
Pretentious Fooker. When will it suit you Leo.
Have you tried paying them enough? That can help.
With all they have put up with I am glad they have decided to strike for them to get the true recognition that they deserve . Funny Leo got a job in politics being a doctor must not have paid enough or not enough perks
What a clown
Remember, this is the government that wanted to lift a salary cap on bankers to help ‘attract talent’ and yet won’t give nurses what they need and deserve!
@Keith O’Reilly: Hi Keith, you’re comparing apples and oranges there. Lifting a salary cap to allow a private organisation pay top directors more is seperate to increasing wages in the public sector.
Reminds me of that Hall & Oates song, “Out of Touch”. What person under the age of 40 would vote for Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil? Leo has resided in a political bubble, much like Bertie did, with a small inner circle repeatedly telling him he’s “doing great”, from that small ego it balloons with congenial meetings with international leaders such as Trudeau, an open goal Goodfellas whack-job on the Pope, and two referendums that he was initially against, same-sex marriage and abortion. As someone who would be more aligned to Turdeau than Trump, despises the Catholic Church, and voted Yes in both referendums, I see through you Leo!
@Orla Smith: I forgot to say I 110% back the nurses and all frontline staff striking, your patience with the last number of ruling parties would out Job to shame , I couldn’t hack 2 hours of what you all do in a single week, we’ve got your back.
@Orla Smith: eh no they are not. Includes all nurses (and there are loads) working in management and admin
Varuka, He said there is not enough money to pay the nurses, can he not get it from the same source that funds the rise the politicians got before Christmas ,and the one they got at the start of 2019,
Nurses deserve a rise and far better working conditions. Not everyone is cut out for that job. It needs looking at.
You see Leo the whole point of a strike is to cause disruption. When you have to fight for what your entitled to then disruption will occur. I know its something Castleknock Tories have never had a problem with
@Dave O’Hanlon: The Public Sector are trying to take every last penny of increased tax take for themselves. How is that fair on Private Sector workers. Tax cuts would give everyone a share. Self-entitled maybe.
@alan: what a clueless comment… again!
This Taoiseach just doesn’t seem to get it.
I’m so sad to that our Taoiseach is sad about those demanding nurses looking to paid money for the work they do, If we start throwing money around like that how will we pay our politicians?
Vote of no confidence and let’s get rid of Fine Gael. If our nurses aren’t looked after then how can we expect them to look after us when we need them?
The nasty right wing side of Leo and FG coming out here. He knows the nurses aren’t on fair terms but wants them to work for as little as possible and would attempt to turn the public against them to achieve that.
Strike on both weekdays and weekends so! FF/FG are all spin and no substance.
Take money off consultants and pay nurses a fair wage. But of course, consultants are not workers, are they? They are part of the ruling cartel.
@Niall: rubbish comment. Consultants don’t run the health service, actually nurses do (not the ones in the wards granted). Yea let’s cut consultants pay even more and have longer waiting lists for everything, less activity in our hospitals and even more vacant consultant jobs!
Would ya look at the handshake….God help us!
Missing the point Leo. Striking at the weekend would not show the massive impact that nurses and midwives have on the health service you plank!
Leo but you get TD ‘S a raise live in the real world it’s a disgrace what’s going on self made important person I don’t think so
Think Leo needs to see a doctor about spin doctor disorder.
Shove it Leo…
He is right. Open the floodgates. We are still borrowing money every year to pay for day to day expenses. They will have to join the queue. We don’t have the money.
@Simon Peters: Nonsense! If we dont have it now- on full employment- we will never have it. If we have 27.5 million to be put into ” converting a former landfill site” outside Naas into a park ( Yes!) then, Hell, we can surely afford to give these good, caring Nurses a bit of a pay rise?? Eh?
@Simon Peters: We are paying a lot more for the mistakes of our elite bankers. Maybe the banks can take that debt back now so we can use our tax money for building a future.
@Rob Cahill: What bank are you referring to?
FFS how much longer do we have to tolerate this unelected clown. Remember its the other arsecheek FF that is propping this spanner up.
@Stephen Grehan: He was elected.
What a FF
This country is in a shambles. Homelessness, Trolley crisis, Brexit and our wonderful nurses having to go on strike and still our Dail is in recess since December. Just shows where F.G. and F.F. priorities lie.
Pay the nurses and teachers better wages and improve working conditions.
Leo is saddened, keep up the fight nurses till ye get what ye are entitled, do brilliant work but no recognition from a shower of right wing piliticians.☘
About time the nurses took a proper stand any of the previous strikes they always had short stoppages and it got them nowhere.24 hour stoppages on rolling days and they might just get the respect and pay they deserve. Emergency cover is assured so support the nurses.
Hey sockboy what do you expect start paying them properly as you can give yourselves a 5k pay rise but not nurses
@Marty Lawless: 29K is a nurses starting salary. 29k is also the average graduate salary. Discuss.
It would not have the same political impact, Leo. Of it did then it wouldn’t sadden you that it is happening on a weekday.
Nurses and Midwives do a phenomenal job and deserve so much better.
Saddened to hear that the taoiseach has not started to intervene. He has worked in the health service as a NCHD and knows the system flaws, long hours, pay issues and the safety concerns within it especially leading onto be minister for health. He knows how nurses are the backbone supporting a crumbling health care system. I’m a nurse myself currently working in the UK and have nursed years in Ireland after qualifying. Irish Nurses are some of the best trained in the world. When I qualified back in 2008/2009, I like 75 of my classmates had to go to UK to nurse as no Jobs in Ireland. Taoiseach and Minister for Health… don’t loose these valuable nurses! pay reform, retention and safety is vital..Make the patients & health care system belive you care by supporting your own nurses!!
@ConorC: sockboy doesn’t care about you it’s the public that care we need to bring the country to a standstill in order to remove these vermin
Get him out
Out out out
If housing wasn’t so screwed by government taxes and policies they wouldn’t need wage increases , the country would be affordable all working middle classs, the country needs more corporate taxes
Dr Leo , needs to get off his high horse and at least show some empathy to nurses.
His past and present comments about health workers are almost worthy of the Donald,
What a complete cock head
Enjoy your trip Leo
Leo thousands of operations and thousands of appointments area cancelled weekly anyway ye fool .
Is he advocating that they strike at weekend then
His salary is not justified is he more value to the country than nurses
@James Donnery: Is the leader of the country more important than one nurse? Absolutely.
@Padraig Bateman: Not if he is an imbecile and Lio is an imbecile.
I cannot believe how blind and stupid this Taoiseach is these nurses have been appallingly and he sits back like it is not his problem.
A total bollox
What a comment by Leo.. He has no clue whats happening on the ground.. disgracefull
Yeah, they should just roll over and accept whatever miserable remuneration the government tosses their way. Oh, yes and being assaulted by drunks and druggies is part of the job description :(
Ridiculous comment.
@Dominic Leleu: No it is not have you ever been in an A&E on a Friday night.
Leader my hole he i a bollix
He was once in employed to work hospitals should no better . Turning on his own
About time the whole public sector went out on strike. This govt is making a mockery of us all
The man is a complete fool. 99 per cent of the population will support the nurses. How can he justify his salary
@Mark Gough: He’s the leader of a country. Set aside the easy route of moaning and bashing politicians and say it out loud. The leader of a country. His salary is justified.
@Padraig Bateman: you seem to be very pro government in responding to people without actually commenting on the actual story…….are you afraid people might think you are a supporter of socky and co and challenge you on it?
@Tomás Ó Tnúthail: I’m indifferent to Varadkar. He’s alright. I was just responding to someone questioning the salary of a leader of our country. The salary for the position is justified regardless of if you like him or not.
@Padraig Bateman: He gets $160,000 more than the German chancellor. Figure that out
Seriously WTF did you expect !!!!.
You voted for them so suck it up.
@tommytukamomo: we didn’t vote for Varadkar.
@tommytukamomo: I never voted for Dr. Dolittle
She must have spoilt him!
His mother was a nurse!
Nurses from Northern Ireland looking for jobs here better pay they reckon
He is a disgrace, he phrases it to make it seem like its the nurse’s who are in the wrong. They are well overdue a pay rise. If construction workers strike then production is temporarily stopped which is no big deal but nurses can’t strike as sick people need 24/7 care. He knows this and just takes advantage of it.
Strange thing is nurses from Northern Ireland are coming here to work, it seems they are better paid on this side of the border.
have your say