site.btaParliament Adopts Amendments to Labour Code Regarding Remote Working at First Reading

Parliament adopted at first reading on Thursday amendments to the Labour Code that improve the regulatory framework applicable to remote working and regulate the responsibility for guaranteeing employees' wages in subcontracting chains. The bill, submitted by the Council of Ministers, was backed by 136 MPs, with five abstentions.

The amendments, in implementation of a measure in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, provide for the place of telework to be specified in the employment contract. This should provide security for the parties to the employment relationship and enable the employer to monitor the performance of the work assigned.

A so-called right of disconnection has been introduced which entitles an employee performing telework not to respond to an employer-initiated off-duty communication.

The amendments introduce grounds for reducing the employer's liability in the event of an occupational accident where the teleworker has not complied with the occupational safety and health rules.

Parliament decided to extend the deadline for proposals between the first and second reading of the amendments to the Labour Code to 14 days.