Working from home was not a common feature of employment in Ireland before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to research carried out by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).

The think-tank found that, before the crisis, 14% of employees worked from home sometimes or usually. This was slightly above the European average, though figures across the continent varied from 1% in Bulgaria to more than 30% in Sweden.

The research shows that men, Irish nationals, workers aged over 30, full-time employees and those in higher-paid occupations were more likely to work from home before the pandemic.

The figure for professionals, which includes the legal sector, was relatively high at 23.6%.

Lone parents

Couples with children were also more likely to work from home, compared with lone parents.

The study found, however, that only 6% of workers defined as ‘essential’ by the Government in the current crisis worked from home, compared with a figure of 16% for other workers.

One of the report’s authors, Dr Paul Redmond, said that increasing the capacity to work from home in some sectors could help protect jobs and limit the economic damage the COVID-19 outbreak will cause.

Spike

The ESRI added that ensuring as many people as possible worked from home would help prevent against another spike in virus cases.

The institute warned that while combining working from home with childminding is not a sustainable long-term option, it may alleviate short-term childcare pressures caused by school and crèche closures.