Businesses are being urged to keep an open mind to working from home as people return to the office.

Under the latest roadmap for reopening to be published today, workers will return to the office on a phased basis from September 20th.

The plan was discussed by senior ministers yesterday and is due to go before Cabinet today.

The Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy told Newstalk the businesses should show flexibility with working arrangements moving forward.

“I would think, when people are talking about going back to the office for example, it’s important we don’t lose the value of maybe hybrid working or maybe people can work from home,” she said.

“I think there are all sorts of benefits from that and I think if you don’t capture that in the moment, you can often lose it.”

She noted that many businesses will continue to need supports even after the restrictions are eased.

Meanwhile, Peter Cosgrove, Managing Director of Futurewise said employers should take their time with putting in place new working policies.

“A lot of people are trying to focus on the models that employers should be using – should you be working from home two days or three days – but the reality is employers should be piloting things and trying things out and not putting in policies straight away because very few people can actually tell us exactly how things are going to work over the next six months,” he said.

He said workers should remember that employers have a right to ask them to come back to the office.

“The reality is you are employed by an employer and they might actually want you to come back to work and that kind of is their right,” he said.

“I think sometimes people have this view that, no that’s it, I now work from home, I am much better working from home, but the reality is you are not an individual you are part of a collective so actually there are lots of things that happen in the office that happen because people are together.”

Under the new roadmap, almost all restrictions will be lifted by October 22nd.

The first phase of easing would see the return on larger crowds at concerts and live events from September 6th.

The second major easing would kick in on September 20th, with the return of workers to offices on a phased basis.

The final restrictions would be lifted by October 22nd, as the country moves to a personal responsibility model.

Masks will still be required in certain settings.