As part of the Bank of Ireland’s hybrid working strategy, which was created in collaboration with Bank of Ireland employees, Leo Varadkar TD has opened 11 hubs for remote workers in Ballycoolin, Dublin.
This strategy will enable Bank of Ireland staff to work from a combination of their homes, main offices, and the new hubs, depending on their position. Along with the 11 centres in and around Dublin, three more will open later this year in Cork, Galway, and Limerick. Based on the availability of the property and the closest geographic fit to where employees said they would prefer to work, remote hub locations were chosen.
A Bank of Ireland Colleague study from June 2022 found that 65% of respondents said that more flexibility gave them more time to spend with their family. Furthermore, 54% claimed to have saved money as a result of the model, and 26% said they had greater freedom in terms of where they might reside. Additionally, when employees worked from home or the hub, 29 percent of them cut their daily trip by more than two hours.
In order to further understand staff preferences and trends, two more surveys were performed in May and December 2020. Between 25 and 75 percent of the working week, more than three quarters of employees (77 percent) said they would like to work from home.
“The Government is legislating to give employees the right to request flexible and remote working. Many employers went to great lengths during the pandemic to give their employees as much flexibility around where they work as possible. Done well, remote and hybrid working is a win-win for companies and their employees and I’m delighted to see Bank of Ireland at the forefront of rethinking the traditional office model in this way.”Leo Varadkar TD, Tánaiste and Minister for enterprise, trade and employment, Ireland
Bank of Ireland CEO, Francesca McDonagh believes that the transition from the old way of working to hybrid work has increased the freedom to choose where and how employees work.
“Our new hybrid working model is a real break with the old way of doing things in terms of how and where we work. The opening of three new hubs in major regional centres means more opportunities to attract talent from locations around Ireland. For our colleagues, the hybrid model offers enhanced flexibility and choice, blending home and office working with less time and money spent on commuting and a better work-life balance.”Francesca McDonagh, Bank of Ireland group CEO
The Bank has implemented a comprehensive variety of assistance for employees who work from home, including the provision of equipment that complies with safety and ergonomic standards and continued investments in digital solutions that promote better team collaboration.
Just recently, Ireland also launched a new voucher scheme for remote working hubs that allow hub users access to at least 10,000 hot desk working days without charge.
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