Half of large Irish employers expected to mandate fixed office days by 2027

Research published on 23 September 2026 found that 34% of Irish employers with more than fifty staff already require a fixed number of office days, and that this is projected to reach 50% during 2027. Ipsos B&A surveyed 404 businesses for law firm William Fry.

Three days in the office is the most common arrangement at 33%, with two days at 29%. Productivity was the leading reason given at 37%, with recruitment and retention second at 22%, rising to 40% among large employers. Hybrid working runs at 62% among larger employers against under 30% of SMEs. Only 5% of larger employers expect a full return to the office within twelve months.

Why this matters

If you work remotely for a large Irish employer, the direction of travel over the next fifteen months is towards fewer discretionary days and more mandated ones. The research suggests the change is arriving as a fixed schedule rather than a full return, so the practical question is which days, not whether.

Ireland has a statutory right to request remote working, and it remains a right to request rather than a right to receive. A move to specified office days is a change to terms in practice even where it is not treated as one on paper, and it is worth checking what your contract says about place of work before a schedule is announced rather than after.

Context

The same week produced a counterweight from the same country. Property economist John McCartney argued that weak demand for Dublin office space is structural rather than cyclical, because office-based employment is contracting while remote working continues to expand, with second-quarter vacancy estimates for Dublin ranging from 12.2% to 15.4%. Employer intentions and floorspace demand are pointing in different directions.