As many employers around the country continue to weigh up the benefits of home-working, one of the country’s biggest media organisations, Reach, has confirmed that it is to embrace a hybrid mix of office and home working for its teams in Dublin, Belfast and Cork.
Reach will retain its offices in Dublin and Belfast but many of the company’s near 200 staff on the island of Ireland will either work from home permanently, work at one of its hubs or work or split their time between the office and home. The new work arrangements are part of a group-wide initiative that will see it close a number of offices in the UK and introduce greater flexibility to its working practices.
According to Joanne McGreevy, Marketplace Publisher for Reach in Ireland: “We carried out a survey of all colleagues across the UK and Ireland that clearly showed a majority found home working suited their needs but ideally with access to an office hub. So we’re pleased to be investing in our hubs in Dublin and Belfast to provide more modern, flexible working environments. This solution provides increased flexibility with the ability to have access to meeting space to recapture face-to-face collaboration and a social element – when lockdown rules allow.”
The announcement coincides with a restructure of some of its Irish editorial operations, a move which according to Reach’s Audience and Content Director Chris Sherrard is designed to help the publisher “fully achieve the undoubted potential of its national titles following the acquisition of the Irish Daily Star brands at the end of last year.”
According to Sherrard: “The Editor of Dublin Live, Aengus O’Hanlon, has been appointed Group Head of News and will work closely with all of our Irish news brands and journalists to ensure the best possible coverage day and daily. I am also delighted to say Darragh Berry will replace Aengus as Editor of Dublin Live and Mark O’Brien will move up to become Deputy Editor. The Irish Star’s Brian Flanagan has been promoted to the new position of Head of Sport and will oversee our entire sports operation across all titles while Rachel Beresford and Keith Falkiner both will become Assistant News Editors. Irish Mirror Picture Editor Zoe Watson has also been promoted to Group Picture Editor with Ciaran Burns made Deputy Group Picture Editor. I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of them on their new positions and look forward to their invaluable contributions as we look to continue to grow and work together as one team.”
The publisher has also recruited its first finance manager for Ireland, Lorraine Tumilty, who will join the business towards the end of April and will also be announcing a new editorial role for its Cork newsroom in the coming weeks.
