On Thursday, Portugal’s government approved a resolution in the cabinet according to which, remote work will be mandatory in all municipalities till 16th May 2021.
“Telework is mandatory until 31 December in the municipalities defined by the government in a cabinet resolution according to the evolution of the epidemiological situation, under the terms of Decree-Law 79-A/2020.”Ana Mendes Godinho, Minister of Labor, Solidarity and Social Security
António Costa, the Prime Minister of Portugal said during a news conference that remote working will remain compulsory wherever feasible until the end of 2021. This decision is taken as a measure to curb the spread of the Covid-19 causing virus.
“Given the health reasons invoked, despite the obvious limitations that may result for collective entities of workers and entrepreneurs, the President of the Republic promulgated the Government diploma that extends until 31 December 2021 the exceptional and transitional rules for work reorganization and minimization of risks of transmission of the Covid-19 disease infection in the context of labor relations,”Government statute promulgated by the president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, on 29 March 2020
What is the New Law?
According to this new law,
“the adoption of telework is mandatory, regardless of employment relationship, whenever the functions in question allow and the employee has the conditions to perform them, without the need for written agreement between the employer and employee.”
A state of calamity has been declared by the Government due to the covid-19 pandemic. Mainland Portugal has been through 15 “state of emergency” periods and 12 of these have been consecutive since November 9, 2020.
Making remote work mandatory is a wise decision, considering the situation not only in Portugal but the whole world as the pandemic’s next wave creates havoc. Remote work is a good decision to break the virus transmission chain and is a good preventive measure.
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