To ensure employees get to maintain a healthy work-life balance in the country, Portugal’s ruling Socialist Party has approved a legislation. According to the recently passed law, employers could face penalties if they contact their staff after they have finished work for the day or before they start working. The rule comes in at a time when the work from home culture has begun to blur the boundaries of home and office. The law is expected to address mental health of the employees and assist them in creating healthy boundaries when it comes to professional and personal life. Many employees often encounter an experience where their boss asks them to complete a task after working hours, while many are asked to prepare an assignment or a project a day in advance before they show up to work.

LadBible reported that Portugal’s Minister of Labour and Social Security, Ana Mendes Godinho, said in a conference in Lisbon that the government wants to make remote working as easy as possible. Godinho said in a statement that the pandemic has accelerated the need to regulate what needs to be regulated and telework can be a “game changer” if they profit from the advantages and reduce the disadvantages.

According to The Portugal News, the government is promoting employees’ “right to rest” with the latest legislation. The report also added that the recent proposal still has to be confirmed by the Committee on Labour and Social Security and then voted on in plenary. However, it was approved with votes in favour of the Socialists, votes against by the national party PSD and the abstention of the other two parties BE and PCP. It should also be noted that this law will not be applicable to companies that have less than ten employees.

The coronavirus pandemic shifted the workplace to homes for many people across the world. The change also brought in some new problems for employees who had to balance their family and professional life from the same space. The new law in Portugal is expected to bring in some respite for the employees.

This Country Now Penalises Bosses Who Call or Text Employees After Work

Portugal has introduced a new law that makes it illegal for bosses to contact their employees after work hours, to balance professional and personal life.