Latest news with #Department of Finance
BreakingNews.ie
an hour ago
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Companies have right to strike balance on remote working, McEntee says
Companies have the right to strike a balance on remote working based on their business, Minister for Education Helen McEntee has said. It comes as several companies and State departments shift away from the remote working arrangements introduced in the aftermath of the pandemic. Advertisement The option to work from home came into force during the Covid-19 pandemic due to restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus. A right to request remote working came into effect from March 2024, inspired by those arrangements. Mandated 'hybrid' arrangements by employers have raised concerns, where people are able to work from home some days but must come into the office a minimum number of days a week. Earlier this year, the Department of Social Protection made efforts to increase the minimum number of days staff worked from the office from one to two. Advertisement The Department of Finance had also requested an increase in the number of office days, in a move that was resisted by unions. This week, reports emerged that AIB is to reduce the option of working from home five days a week to just two for non-customer facing staff. Asked about the shift in the option to remote work and the effect it would have on families, Ms McEntee said companies 'have that autonomy'. 'I'll be honest, I think it's important that we provide that flexibility and that structure at a government level, but that we also have that autonomy within companies as well,' she said in Dublin. Advertisement 'For some people, it's simply not possible to work from home [with] the type of job or the career they're in. 'For others, there is that flexibility, and I know certainly some companies like to have that balance, that people are in work, they're in the office, they're getting to know their colleagues. 'There's a way in which you can work that you can't when you're at home, or you're perhaps not meeting people face to face. Business Legislation in employers' favour but 'claims of de... Read More 'So I think it's about providing that structure to allow that kind of flexibility. Advertisement 'But ultimately, companies do have to make decisions based on what's right for them, what's right for the way in which they're working, while at the same time trying to support and recognise and acknowledge that people have families, that they have school, that they have commitments, that they have to try and work with them to make sure that everybody benefits from it. 'But you know, it is about that flexibility and the same time acknowledging, for some people it works better than others, and for some companies that will work better than for others.'
Bloomberg
7 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Debt Demands Rise in Canada as Carney Prepares More Spending
The supply of Canada's government debt is set to hit a record this fiscal year as Prime Minister Mark Carney pledges to use the federal balance sheet to make investments in the economy. Gross issuance — the amount of government of Canada bonds and treasury bills put to market — is expected to rise to C$612 billion this fiscal year, according to an updated debt management strategy released by the Department of Finance on Wednesday.
