STRATEGY TO SORT OUT REMOTE WORKING ON BOTH SIDES 
The pandemic has seen a seismic shift in work practices. And with home working now the norm for thousands of employees across Ireland, and remote work hubs set to become increasingly popular, both employers and employees may have many issues to iron out before things go smoothly. CALLS FOR 80% REDUCTION IN MINOR INJURY AWARDS
With new guidelines on damages for personal injuries by the Judicial Council to be
published by 31 July, the Alliance for Insurance Reform is now calling for an 80% reduction
on the level of minor injury awards, to reflect international norms. NEW CODE OF PRACTICE TO TACKLE WORKPLACE BULLYING
Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail Damien English TD has approved the publication of the new joint Code of Practice for Employers and Employees, between the HSA and the WRC on the Prevention and Resolution of Bullying at Work under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. DCU RESEARCH REVEALS FIRST RESPONDERS’ COVID CONCERNS
New research by Dublin City University on experiences of pre-hospital first responders during the pandemic now hopes the findings will help inform the current response to Covid-19, risk management in the medium-term, and help build longer-term national resilience. UPDATE ON THE HEALTHY WORKPLACE FRAMEWORK
The Department of Health is currently in the process of updating content for the Healthy Workplace
Framework, to take account of the new challenges of remote working and the ongoing changes since the start of the pandemic. SUPREME SAFETY AWARD – TWO IN A ROW FOR PM GROUP
Supreme Safety Award winner for 2020 – PM Group – made safety award history by becoming the first organisation to win the top prize two years in a row, at an online ceremony of the 29th NISO/NISG Annual Occupational Safety Awards in January. UK RESEARCH ZOOMS IN ON REMOTE WORKING FATIGUE
Working remotely during the UK’s first Covid-19 lockdown led to an increase in employees
suffering from ‘zoom fatigue’ while generating a need for longer recovery time, according to the
findings of the first study of its kind by London South Bank University (LSBU). EU CAMPAIGN TO ‘LIGHTEN THE LOAD’ ON WORKPLACE MSDs
The latest two-year campaign rolled out by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) is focusing on musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), which remain the most prevalent work-related problem. FINAL YEAR OF HSA PROGRAMME OF WORK (2019-2021)
The HSA Programme of Work 2021 sets out the Authority’s range of objectives, such as the
pandemic response, information on Brexit requirements, and supporting Government’s RemoteWorking Strategy, by promoting the HSA’s range of advice, e-tools and supports. IOSH RESEARCH ON RETURNING TO WORK AFTER MENTAL ILLNESS
A new research study, commissioned by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health into workers’ mental health issues, has called on employers to take greater account of an
employee's needs, and the need for more tailored approaches on returning to work.