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For millions of Europeans, remote working has become mainstream in less than two years.
Pre-pandemic, just 5% of us worked from home on a regular basis. In certain nations, that number has more than doubled in the last 18 months.
With over 20% of people still working in jobs that allow them to work from home, Finland, Luxembourg, and Ireland have the greatest proportion of remote workers on the continent.
Without remote digital infrastructure, the majority of firms would not have survived COVID-19.
Given the popularity of flexible working in various areas, issues are now being raised regarding the laws that firms should follow to allow it.
According to a survey done by Slack earlier this year, nearly a third of UK workers would be less likely to apply for a job if remote working was not an option.
Portugal, which was the first country in Europe to implement a temporary legal “regime” for remote working during the outbreak, has now again taken the initiative on this issue.
On November 5, lawmakers in Portugal passed a new remote working law, giving workers additional rights.
Employers will be prohibited from contacting their employees after work hours, and they will be required to reimburse expenses spent by home working, such as increased electricity and internet bills, according to the new labor law.
Miguel Cabrita, the country’s deputy secretary of state for labor, urged EU members to move quickly with plans to regulate remote working earlier this year, saying that speedy action would maximize opportunities while minimizing risks.
Critics claim that this will result in “corporate chaos” for years.
Which countries do you think are most likely to follow Portugal’s lead now?
Source: euronews.next
