Parliament discussing new bill on remote workers’ rights

Parliament is discussing a bill which aims to outline the rules of remote working.

The bill, which was put to the house on Thursday, sets out the rights and responsibilities of both employees and employers regarding the issue of remote working, while also outlining the consequences for those who break the rules.

The bill foresees remote work as taking place on a voluntary basis as per agreements between employees and employers, but also includes provisions for when remote work may become necessary, such as in the instance of directives from the Health Ministry.

Additionally, the bill bans discrimination towards those who work remotely, and requires that additional costs of remote work, such as the cost of buying and maintaining equipment, be covered by employers.

Also included in the bill is the codification of the right of employees to log out of remote work-related computer programmes at the end of their working hours, as well as a provision that remote workers hold the same rights as all other workers regarding pay and working hours.

Employers who do not follow the new laws could receive fines of up to 10,000 euros.