Ensuring the right to disconnect and respect privacy for all employees, whether face-to-face or remotely, is the full meaning of these recent laws from the socialist government of Antonio Costa. The law was adopted in a difficult political context for the Portuguese left. The government’s days are numbered after the failure of the 2022 budget project. The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Souza, He specified the call for early legislative elections on January 30, 2022.
Except in cases of force majeure.
Exit letters and after-work calls, said Portuguese lawmakers, “except in cases of force majeure”. Managers are prohibited from contacting employees outside of established working hours, in the name of the right to respect for private life and vacation time. This well-known flexibility often leads to permanent intrusion of work into employees’ personal space.
Any breach of this rule is now considered a serious breach punishable by a fine of up to €9,000. “Telecommuting has great advantages, provided the disadvantages are well controlled,” he said. Labor Minister Ana Mendes Godinhoduring intervention through Web Summit Meetings in Lisbon. Moreover, the minister stressed the need to regulate remote work conditions as soon as possible to protect employees.
