New Portugal Law Makes It Illegal for Employers to Contact Employees After Work Hours

A new law in Portugal aims to improve the work-from-home experience by barring employers from contacting employees after work hours have ended.

The move came as part of legislation that was approved earlier this month, per USA Today. In short, the law makes it illegal for employers to contact employers after work hours—via text, etc.—and will also see penalties handed out to those who fail to follow suit. 

At a recent conference in Lisbon focused on tech, Ana Mendes Godinho—Portugal’s current Minister of Labor, Solidarity, and Social Security—detailed exactly why changes surrounding remote working conditions are more important than ever in light of the (notably ongoing) COVID-19 pandemic.