It is illegal for bosses to send SMS or call workers after work hours

The country recently introduced a law that prevents employers from contacting workers outside their regular hours by telephone, text, or email.

The employer must respect the employee's privacy”, including rest and family time periods, the new law predicts. Any offense, followed further, constitutes a grave “violation” and could result in fines, Cnn reports.

A similar rule gave French workers the right to ignore business e - mails after working hours in 2017 broadcast Telegragraphy.

Portugal's new policy is part of legislation regulating work from home. Workers now have the right to give up their remote work if they want to, but they can also seek agreement if it is in line with their work.

The move also envisions that employers are responsible for providing workers with the right means to do their work from a distance. They should restore workers for any additional expense, including any increase in bills such as electricity and gas, which can be sustained during the work from home.

The capital, Lisbon, has worked hard to attract digital nomads who want to take advantage of distance work to temporarily move or travel abroad.

The practice became more common during the pandemic. The research firm Gartner estimates that remote workers will represent 32 percent of the global workforce by the end of 2021, compared to 17 percent in 2019.