President approves bill for compulsory remote working until year’s end

  • Lusa
  • 30 March 2021

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has promulgated the government's decree approving compulsory remote working until December 31, 2021.

Portugal’s president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, has promulgated the government’s decree approving compulsory remote working until the end of the year, according to a note published on the Presidency’s website.

On Thursday “a decree-law was approved that extends until December 31, 2021 the exceptional and transitional regime of work reorganisation and minimisation of risks of transmission of Covid-19 disease infection within the scope of labour relations, without prejudice to the possibility of further extension after consultation with social partners,” reads the statement from the Council of Ministers.

According to an official source from the Ministry of Social Security, at stake is Decree-Law 79-A/2020, which ended this month and establishes the mandatory nature of remote working and also the mismatch between the entrance and exit hours of workers.

According to the diploma, “it is mandatory to adopt the new regime, regardless of the employment relationship, whenever the functions in question allow it and the employee has the conditions to perform them, without the need for a written agreement between the employer and the employee”.

“Remote workers have the same rights and duties as other workers, without any reduction in pay, with regard to limits on normal working hours and other working conditions, health and safety at work and compensation for damages arising from an accident at work or occupational illness, while retaining the right to receive meal subsidies,” reads the decree-law.

At this moment, remote working is mandatory in counties where there is a greater risk of spreading Covid-19, identified by health authorities, with no need for agreement between employer and worker, and providing for aggravated fines for non-compliance.

The diploma also extends until the end of the year the time difference between the entrance and exit of workers.

In these companies, the employer must organise the entry and exit times of workplaces in a staggered manner, ensuring minimum intervals of thirty minutes up to a limit of one hour between groups of workers.

The employer must also adopt measures to ensure social distancing of work teams so that contact between workers only occurs between workers of the same team or department.