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Browse through brief employment and labor law updates from around the globe. Contact a Littler attorney for more information or view our global locations.
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COVID-19: Return-to-Work Protocols
New Legislation Enacted
Authors: Ricardo Grilo, Senior Associate and Gonçalo Machado dos Santos, Associate – Garrigues Portugal SLP Sucursal
On May 3, 2020, Portugal began the gradual lifting of the confinement measures. In seeking to continue decreasing the transmission of the virus, the government instituted various measures, including the adoption of mandatory teleworking arrangements, body temperature screening to access the workplace, contingency plans aimed at preventing COVID-19 transmission, requirements for signage, health equipment, cleaning, social distancing, amongst other measures.
New Deconfinement Phase Introduces Changes on Work Organization
New Legislation Enacted
Authors: Ricardo Grilo, Senior Associate and Gonçalo Machado dos Santos, Associate – Garrigues Portugal SLP Sucursal
On May 29, 2020, the official gazette published the Ministers Council Order no. 40-A/2020, extending the State of Calamity under the COVID-19 pandemic and establishing rules for the new deconfinement phase. Among other measures, the order introduced amendments on telework and work organization, to become effective on June 1, 2020.
COVID-19: New Exceptional Measures on Employment and Social Security
New Legislation Enacted
Authors: Ricardo Grilo, Senior Associate and Gonçalo Machado dos Santos, Associate – Garrigues Portugal SLP Sucursal
On June 6, 2020, the official gazette published the Ministers Council Resolution no. 41/2020, approving the Social and Economic Stabilization Plan (SESP) that introduces a package of exceptional measures on economic and social matters, including the “simplified furlough,” which was extended to the companies that are obliged to remain closed under the government’s determination. The remaining companies may extend the simplified furlough until the end of July 2020. Additionally, the “progressive resumption support measure” was introduced as an extraordinary measure, to be in force until the end of 2020, to promote the companies’ activities resumption, by a State support, for companies that have implemented a simplified furlough. Moreover, the “employee’s stabilization aid” was introduced as a financial aid, to be paid in July to the employees that have had a decrease on their income due to the pandemic.
New Measures on Simplified Layoffs and the Extraordinary Training Plan
New Legislation Enacted
Authors: Ricardo Grilo, Senior Associate and Gonçalo Machado dos Santos, Associate – Garrigues Portugal SLP Sucursal
Two of the most important measures approved during the state of emergency were the simplified layoffs and the extraordinary training plan. On June 19, 2020, Decree-Law nº 27-B/2020 amended these measures as they pertain to the extraordinary incentive for the return to standard business activity and the cumulative (or noncumulative) and sequential support measures.