Working hours, rest periods, and Sunday work are to be relaxed for employees working from home, according to a bill approved by the lower house of the parliament. The Federal Council has also introduced a right to disconnect.
The bill proposes three changes.
Firstly, daily work must be provided within a range of 17 hours, instead of the current 14.
Rest time, however, is reduced to nine hours instead of 11, and it can be interrupted for urgent work – with appropriate compensation.
Finally, it must be possible to work on Sundays of one’s own accord, for up to five hours six times a year, with a 50-percent pay increase. The terms and conditions are set out in an agreement between employees and the employer.
This easing of the labour law will only apply to workers who can determine “a significant portion of their working hours” themselves, rather than being held to them by the companies that employ them – that is, those who enjoy “a high degree of autonomy.”
Right to disconnect
The Federal Council also proposed several amendments of its own.
In particular, it explicitly introduced a ‘right to disconnect’ from work – thus fostering work-life balance and reducing burnout among employees.
The Federal Council wants this right to apply not only to those working from home, but to all employees.
