April 2022 National Remote Working Survey Launched

Survey led by NUI Galway and the Western Development Commission is seeking participants to give their experience and preferences for remote working and insights on how remote working is impacting career choices.

Researchers from the Whitaker Institute at NUI Galway and the Western Development Commission are seeking participants for the annual national remote working in Ireland survey. 

The survey will gather data on employees’ experiences and preferences for remote working and assess how remote working is impacting their career choices.

The survey is led by Professor Alma McCarthy and Noreen O’Connor at NUI Galway, and Tomás Ó Síocháin and Deirdre Frost at the Western Development Commission.  

Building on two previous annual national surveys undertaken by the team, the 2022 study will provide insights on how remote working has changed employees work and employment experiences. 

Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD welcomed the initiative and encouraged workers to take part in the survey, commenting: “So much excellent work has been done in the last few years to support remote workers and employers. It is imperative we do not lose momentum now. 

“The Government’s Rural Development Policy, Our Rural Future, clearly recognises the vital role that remote working can play in achieving balanced regional development. Remote workers support local economies and sustain communities, and I am determined to do all I can to encourage more to work remotely. 

 “This survey will help to ensure that we have the data to make the right decisions in this crucial area.”

Professor Alma McCarthy, Professor of Public Sector Management and Head of the J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics, NUI Galway, said: “The 2020 and 2021 annual surveys were of huge interest to the public and we got over 12,000 responses from employees who were working remotely across the country. 

“The findings have impacted policy including the national remote working strategy. The way we work has changed dramatically since the Covid-19 pandemic. It is timely to capture the trends, preferences and career choice impacts two years on.”  

Tomás Ó Síocháin, CEO of the Western Development Commission, said: “Breaking the link between work and location has been transformative and while challenges remain in ensuring equality of opportunity for all regardless of location, this survey is really important to inform the decision making about balanced future development in our country, and helping the transition to a low carbon economy. The development of connectedhubs.ie with between 200 and 300 hubs already on the platform illustrates the ongoing demand for remote work, for hybrid work and for suitable work facilities close to where people live.”

The remote working study findings will be available to inform employers about employee experiences of remote working. The research team will provide recommendations for employers on how to better manage remote working following the Covid-19 crisis as well as more generally.

The research team will analyse the findings of the 2022 national remote working survey and make them publicly available on both NUI Galway’s Whitaker Institute and the Western Development Commission websites in May 2022. The report and key statistics from the first and second national annual surveys are also available on these websites.  

To complete the survey, visit https://bit.ly/remoteworkingsurvey2022 

To view the 2020 and 2021 survey results visit: https://bit.ly/3mFwgZg.  

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