Salesforce Ordered to Pay €1,000 for Breach of Remote Working Legislation

Salesforce was “ordered to pay €1,000 to employee Thomas Farrell after failing to respond to his formal remote working request within the statutory four-week deadline.”

A Legal First

The company’s European Headquarters are located in Dublin, making it subject to Ireland’s Workplace Relations Commission. The WRC ruled that Salesforce violated the “Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023.” This was the “first award for a breach of remote working legislation,” according to Irish Legal News.

Farrell, a recruiter at Salesforce, relocated to the west of Ireland with his family in June 2023 under an approved remote work arrangement. He cited personal circumstances related to his partner’s employment, the unsustainability of a 550km daily round-trip commute, his proven performance working remotely, and inconsistencies in Salesforce’s return-to-office policy. However, less than a year later, Farrell was instructed to return to the Dublin office three to four days a week.

Farrell submitted a formal request to continue working remotely, but Salesforce failed to respond within the required four-week period. Salesforce missed the deadline by four days. Farrell then lodged a complaint with the WRC regarding the delayed response.

The Verdict

Adjudication officer Breiffni O’Neill ruled that Salesforce provided “no compelling reasons” for missing the deadline. However, he noted the delay was “minor.” O’Neill then awarded Farrell €1,000 in compensation.

O’Neil said:

“In making a decision on this issue alone, specifically the delay in the respondent’s initial response, I find that, in the absence of any compelling reasons having been provided by the respondent for the failure to consider the request within the four-week deadline under the Act which expired on 9 July 2024, this complaint is well founded.

In considering the amount of compensation to award, I noted in the first instance that the respondent provided no compelling reasons for the failure to consider the request within the four-week deadline under the Act which expired on 9 July 2024, stating that it was attributable to human error.

I also noted however that the delay was minor in that it was only a few days after the deadline when the complainant was notified that the respondent required more time to consider his request to work remotely.

Considering all of the foregoing, I make an award of €1,000.”