Cabinet will consider a new bill which would give workers a legal right to request it.
It includes rules around making the request, and measures for resolving any potential disputes.
Dr Laura Bambrick from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, expects the laws to come into effect in the next six months:
"Assuming cabinet agreed that will be published. And before the summer of the upcoming year, there will be legislation in place. In the meantime, the Dail and the Seanad will be debating it. They'll be looking to improve on the legislation. So it should all be in place by June of this year."
