New labor law
In Portugal it is now illegal for the boss to write messages after work
If employees work from home in Portugal, the boss will no longer be allowed to write messages after work
© Fleig / Eibner-Pressefoto / / Picture Alliance
After work is there to relax and gather strength before the next working day. But many still get messages from their superiors in the evenings or on weekends. This is now banned in Portugal.
“Can you quickly again …” or “Please reply to the customer”: These are not messages that you would like to receive after work. Nevertheless, it has crept in over the past few years that superiors send their employees messages in the evenings, on weekends or even on public holidays and ask for such “favors”.
The constant availability via smartphones makes things even easier. And since many people are increasingly working from the home office, the boundaries between work and leisure are blurring.
Penalties for employers
Portugal’s ruling Socialist Party has now passed a law banning this practice against people who work from home. According to the new labor law, employers can be penalized if they contact their employees after work or before they start work. However, this does not apply to companies with fewer than ten employees.
In addition, the bosses are prohibited from monitoring their employees while they work outside the office, writes “Lad Bible”. When many people were sent to the home office at the beginning of the corona pandemic, according to the portal, many bosses came up with creative methods to check the productivity of their employees. In some companies you had to move the mouse every few minutes to prove that you were still online, or you had to report to your boss every few hours. With the new law this is now prohibited.
Also, workers who work from home can bill for things like electricity and internet. In the future, employees with young children will have the right to work from home without having to discuss this with their boss beforehand. This is an asset especially for those who cannot afford childcare. However, the regulation ends for parents as soon as their child is eight years old.
Portugal is the best place in the world for digital nomads
The Portuguese Minister for Labor and Social Security, Ana Mendes Godinho, said at a conference in Lisbon that remote work should be made as easy as possible. “The pandemic has accelerated the need to regulate what needs to be regulated,” she said. “Teleworking can be a game changer if we benefit from the advantages and reduce the disadvantages,” said the minister. She believes Portugal is one of the best places in the world where digital nomads and remote workers can live, and she wants to attract them to Portugal.
Source:“Lad Bible”