As you will be aware from recent news reports, the ongoing escalation in the conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran now has severely disrupted global oil supplies. This has driven sharp increases in international crude oil prices.

In Ireland, this has translated into significant rises in petrol and diesel prices:

• Many forecourts now charge over €2 per litre for both petrol and diesel (up from levels around €1.70–€1.75 in early March).

• Reports indicate increases of 20–30 cents per litre or more in a short period, with some stations seeing even steeper daily adjustments.

• Home heating oil has also risen dramatically (e.g., 500 litres averaging €880–€890, compared to under €500 pre-conflict).

These hikes are placing additional financial pressure on employees who commute by car, contributing to higher household costs amid broader inflationary effects from elevated energy and transport expenses. For many staff, daily or frequent commuting has become noticeably more expensive.

Under the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023, employees have a statutory right to request flexible or remote working arrangements (where their role allows), and employers must consider such requests reasonably. While the legislation does not mandate approval, employers are required to provide clear reasons for any refusal.

In light of the current fuel price surge:

• Many employees may now raise requests for increased remote working, hybrid patterns, or flexible hours to reduce commuting costs and time.

• Supporting such requests (where operationally feasible) can help alleviate financial strain on your team, maintain morale and productivity during this challenging period

• Flexible arrangements can also reduce your organisation's overall carbon footprint and align with ongoing sustainability goals.

Practical considerations:

• Review pending or new flexible working requests promptly and constructively.

• Where full remote working isn't possible, explore options like compressed hours, staggered starts, or increased home-based days.

• Communicate openly with staff about how the business is responding to these external pressures.

• Document decisions to comply with statutory obligations.

• The Government continues to monitor the situation closely (with "all options under review" for potential interventions), but no immediate relief measures have been confirmed.

• In the meantime, proactive support for flexible working can be a positive, low-cost way to support your workforce.

If you need guidance on handling requests or updating policies please contact us on 01 8774608 or email [email protected].