The discussion of the draft law regarding teleworking commenced today in the Labor Committee of the House of Representatives. Efforts are made to ensure that the draft law will be brought to the Plenary for voting before July 13th, the last day before the Parliament closes for the summer recess. The main aim of the draft law is to make teleworking accessible to as many workers, organizations, and businesses as possible.

It is noteworthy that this particular draft law is considered highly significant for harnessing technology, which will provide greater flexibility in the workplace.

It should also be clarified that the discussed draft law in the Parliament pertains solely to the private sector. As mentioned during today's session of the Committee, a framework has been developed by the Ministry of Finance for the public sector, which will be discussed in the upcoming period at the Cabinet level.

Based on the proposed draft law, the rights and obligations of employers and employees are regulated when they agree to engage in teleworking. These include matters such as working hours, occupational safety and satisfaction, health and security, opportunities for professional development, training, and retraining, among others.

To ensure effective implementation of the law, the draft includes relevant provisions that provide a detailed outline of the powers and duties of inspectors, as well as penalties for violators, to serve as deterrents.

The draft law regulates the rights and obligations of employers and employees, including voluntary teleworking arrangements agreed upon by employers and employees, compulsory teleworking in exceptional circumstances defined in the draft law, prohibition of discrimination against teleworkers, employer's responsibility regarding the cost of teleworking, regulation of the right to disconnect after working hours, advance information provided by the employer to employees on teleworking-related issues such as readiness time limits, support processes, equipment usage restrictions, risks associated with teleworking, and protection of personal data.

Additionally, it ensures that teleworking does not undermine existing employee rights, such as wages and working hours.

Furthermore, it addresses teleworkers' safety and health, provides opportunities for professional advancement, training, and retraining, outlines the powers and duties of inspectors responsible for enforcing the law, and imposes penalties of up to €10,000 for violators.

The discussion before the Labor Committee took place in the presence of the Minister of Labor and Social Insurance, Yiannis Panagiotou, who highlighted that the draft law, as currently formulated, includes specific provisions for optimizing equipment utilization, working hours, supervision regarding compliance with working hours, and the cost implications of using residential premises for work purposes. This approach allows for a better utilization of teleworking in a regulated manner.

In his remarks during the session, Mr. Panagiotou expressed his belief that effective collaboration could expedite the discussion and allow the Ministry to present the draft law before the Plenary, ensuring its resolution before the parliamentary summer recess. By doing so, it would be able to regulate this matter, benefiting as many workers, organizations, and businesses as possible.

During the fruitful dialogue in the Labor Committee, Eleni Kouzoupi, the Representative of the Legal Service, highlighted that the draft law had undergone two rounds of legal review within the Service and had subsequently been thoroughly examined in consultation with social partners. She assured the Parliament that the Legal Service would be readily available for further analysis and clarification of the draft law.

In response to a previous query about individuals who lack internal control over their work, potentially leading to time theft and burnout, Semeli Byzakou, the representative of Mental Health Services, confirmed that all provisions of the draft law had been carefully studied. The Mental Health Services are of the opinion that this particular aspect is adequately addressed in the proposed legislation.

All representatives from various organizations have consistently underscored a significant omission in the draft law, namely the absence of any regulations pertaining to the public and semi-public sectors.

Nevertheless, it was brought to attention that the Ministry of Finance is actively developing proposals that will encompass the public sector. In light of this, a representative from the Ministry of Finance has been invited to attend the upcoming session of the Labor Committee, in order to offer his/her expertise on the matter.