Portugal bans managers from contacting employees after working hours.

Specifically, according to the newly enacted law, "employers must respect the privacy of their employees," including time off and time spent with family. Any violation will be considered a "serious" offense and may result in a fine. France has also had a similar regulation since 2017, allowing its employees to ignore work emails after business hours.

This new policy is one of Portugal's regulations on working from home. In addition, the country has added several other laws, such as allowing employees to refuse remote work if they wish, and enabling them to make requests to their superiors regarding work schedules and assignments to better fit their other life activities.

Employers will have to provide employees with the necessary tools to work remotely and will also have to pay for any additional expenses, including increased electricity and gas costs incurred when employees work from home. During this time, both parties should arrange in-person meetings every two months.

Additionally, employees with children will have the option to work from home indefinitely without manager permission, until their children reach the age of 8.

Ana Mendes Godinho, Portugal's Minister of Labour and Social Security, stated that the Portuguese government wants to make remote work as accessible as possible, and especially to attract new workers from abroad to work in this European country. Research firm Gartner estimates that remote workers will account for 32% of the global workforce by the end of 2021, up from 17% in 2019.

Khanh Ha