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Remote working has its benefits.

I write this while still wearing my pyjamas and in a semi-dishevelled state.

However, constantly being sat at my work desk (read dining table) means I can’t really wangle out of doing work that crops up outside of traditional business hours.

(A reminder that nobody in Cape Town should ever be made to work after 3PM on a Friday. Stop it.)

Portugal has taken a hardline approach to help workers attain a healthier work-life balance, as well as making the country more attractive to “digital nomads”.

This from VICE:

Employers could face penalties for contacting employees outside work hours, according to the new laws.

The legislation, approved on Friday, comes following the expansion of home working after the coronavirus pandemic, according to Portugal’s Socialist Party government.

Under new rules, employers could be penalised for contacting employees after work and will be forced to pay for increased expenses as a result of working from home – such as gas and electricity bills.

That’s right – Portugal has effectively banned employers from contacting staff outside of office hours.

Businesses will also face fines for emailing staff outside their agreed shift times.

The new conditions only apply to larger companies with 10 or more workers.

Other measures aimed at looking after remote workers include banning employers from monitoring their staff at home, as well as ensuring workers must meet with their boss every two months to stop isolation and feelings of loneliness among staff.

The Independent also points out that “staff with children will also be given the legal right to work from home until their sons or daughters turn eight, without having to secure approval from management.”

Yup, that’s pretty damn awesome.

There was one minor setback for remote workers, though:

The so-called “Right to Disconnect” – a law giving workers the ability to switch off work devices – was not voted through.

That would have applied only once their designated shift comes to an end, and not during work hours.

You can’t have it all.

Perhaps we can rally around something similar here in South Africa, and put an end to those dreaded 5:15PM ‘one more thing’ messages.

[sources:vice&independent]