Portugal: calls made by bosses outside of working hours will be considered illegal

The authorities of Portugal have recently introduced a law that prohibits bosses and employers from making calls or communicating, by mail or messages on digital platforms, with their workers outside of their working hours.

According to the new regulations, the employer must “respect the privacy of the worker,” including rest periods and family time. Any act that contravenes this provision constitutes a “serious” offense and could result in a fine. Exceptions are allowed for “majeure” reasons, limited to truly unforeseen or urgent situations.

Portuguese companies will also have to collaborate with the payment of expenses caused by remote work, such as the increase in electricity and Internet bills that workers use in their chores. This does not include water costs.

However, changes to the labor legislation in the country of President Marcelo Rebelo de Souza have limits: they will not apply to companies with fewer than ten employees.

The Socialist Party of Portugal, currently in the Portuguese government, considers that these new laws are a response to the enormous massification of home work as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Portugal: a place for remote work

The capital Lisbon has worked hard to attract digital nomads who want to take advantage of remote work to temporarily relocate or travel outside of their home country.

The practice became more common during the pandemic. Research firm Gartner estimates that remote workers will represent 32% of the global workforce by the end of 2021, compared to 17% in 2019.