Proposal for a new law on Telework approved

A proposal for a new law regulating the working conditions on Telework in the private sector has been approved by the Plenary of the House of Representatives last Thursday, 16 November 2023.

Despite the developments that have taken place in recent years at national level in relation to telework and its gradual implementation by companies, there were still many issues that needed to be defined at legislative level. The recent approval of the bill regulating telework signifies an important development in terms of labour matters in the private sector.

The proposed legislation titled as the “Regulation of the Framework of Telework Organisation Law of 2023” contains very important provisions that define and specify the context in which telework is to be applied aiming to serve a smooth functioning of the labour market.

The most important provisions include, inter alia, the following: 

1. definition of telework as the remote provision of work by the employer using technology, under a full-time, part-time, rotational or other form of employment contract, which could be provided from the employer’s premises or even from a workplace outside the employer’s premises;

2. implementation of telework on a voluntary basis by agreement between the employer and the employee;

3. exceptional implementation of telework by decision of the employer for reasons of public health protection or at the employee’s request where there is a documented risk to the employee’s health while working at the employer’s premises;

4. the employer covers the cost incurred by the employee in providing telework in terms of, inter alia, equipment and technical support; 

5. prohibition of discrimination against teleworking employees;

6. right to disconnect from the electronic means of teleworking and not to carry out work outside the agreed working hours;

7. health and safety of teleworking employees.

Labour inspectorate will have an important role as they will be responsible for the implementation of the law. Non-compliance on the part of Cyprus employers may lead to fines up to €10.000. 

The bill does not cover the public sector for which a separate regulatory framework is expected to be submitted with the Council of Ministers in the near future. 

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