Bill to regulate working from home delayed

MPs at the House labour committee heard on Tuesday that the bill to regulate remote working will be delayed until after the summer recess. 

Head of the committee Andreas Kafkalias said that the data privacy protection commissioner raised many points which must now be reviewed, meaning the bill won’t be ready by July 15. 

He explained that MPs had wanted discussions on the bill – aimed at strengthening remote workers’ rights – to proceed more quickly but have got bogged down. 

Notably, Kafkalias said the response given to the committee that the public sector is not ready for remote working is simply not acceptable.  

Therefore, he added, the executive branch was asked to change gears and expedite its response to remote working through regulations and protcolols that will support its implementation in the public sector.  

He added that there was still no clear answer as to how exactly remote working for the public sector will be regulated, as in whether an amendment to the existing legislation is required or whether a new bill is needed. 

The committee will reconvene after the break in September.