The Council of Ministers decided on the 18 March 2020 to reduce the total number of private and public sector employees present at the workplace to 20%, while requesting the other 80% to telework (work from home or remote work).

As per the guidelines issued by Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs (MADLSA) on 21 April, working from home should not affect an employee’s salary or other benefits. It is also stated that those working from home are expected to maintain same level of productivity and quality of work as before the COVID-19 crisis.

Guidance for managers and supervisors – the management

Teleworking conditions of employment should remain the same as before. The employee’s wage and benefits, including the provision of food and accommodation or the payment of allowances, should not change as a result of teleworking.

Employers and teleworkers need to discuss and agree on teleworking hours and times during which they can be contacted. The number of teleworking hours should not exceed the average that was previously applied at the workplace. Note: For most sectors, the working hours were reduced to 7 am to 1  pm (6 hours per day) during the crisis

In sectors where working hours have been reduced to 6 hours per day: workers can agree to work a maximum of 2 hours of overtime per day, if mutually agreed with the employer.

In sectors that are operating on normal working hours and were excluded from the decision on reduced working hours: workers should continue to work 8 hours per day, and a maximum of 2 hours of overtime per day if mutually agreed with the employer, as per the Labour Law.
 
The effective management of teleworking requires a result-based management approach. This involves identifying work objectives and tasks, and then monitoring and discussing progress. It is necessary to factor some adjustments in the work plan and work targets, in accordance with the challenges and changes engendered by the crisis.
 
To the extent possible, the employer need to provide the necessary equipment and supplies that are needed to ensure the employees’ performance of their job duties. This includes electronic equipment. In this framework, MADLSA encourages managers to share online tutorials on how to use and access the company intranet, to access emails remotely, and to install security protocols and handle sensitive files remotely.
 
The employee’s home workspace, when used for teleworking, is an extension of the workspace. Isolation at home can have a significant impact on the mental health of workers. Officials and supervisors should develop strategies to address safety and health of teleworkers,. This can for example include organising virtual weekly team meetings and daily check-in calls.

Guidance for teleworkers     

 Teleworkers should be contactable during the working hours agreed upon with the supervisor. Teleworkers are expected to maintain the same level of competence, productivity and quality of work as before the crisis.

While teleworking, workers should not perform other personal activities during work hours. If at any time an employee is not performing official duties, the employee must take leave as appropriate.

Teleworking should not be used in place of annual, sick, or any other type of leave. Requests to use leave must be submitted, discussed and approved by the supervisor following the usual policy.

The teleworker should request guidance from their supervisor regarding the possibility to receive equipment, supplies and training that are needed to perform job duties from home. The employee shall return all enterprise-owned equipment, software and data files at the end of the teleworking period, while it is necessary to maintain the confidentiality and security of the information.

Teleworkers should maintain a boundary between work and personal life by identifying a dedicated workspace and learning to disconnect from work at specified times reserved for rest and personal life.

Tips on How to Remain Productive while Working from Home

Source: MADLSA