DID YOU KNOW THAT… the right to remote working has been extended/renewed for some categories of workers?

Italian Law of 24 February 2023, No 14 converted into law, with some modifications, Italian Decree-law of 29 December 2022, No 198, containing ‘urgent provisions regarding legislative deadlines. Extension of deadlines for the exercise of legislative powers’ (the so-called Milleproroghe Decree) published in the Italian Official Gazette No 49 of 27 February 2023:

• extended the right to remote working to so-called ‘vulnerable’ workers; and
• reinstated the same right to working parents of children under 14.

Public and private employees are considered ‘vulnerable’ if they are affected by sicknesses and conditions identified by the decree of the Minister of Health referred to in Article 17, paragraph 2, of Italian Decree-law of 24 December 2021, No 221, converted into law, with amendments, by Italian Law of 18 February 2022, No 11. This right must be guaranteed including, if necessary, through assignment to a different job without any reduction of the salary and without prejudice to the application of any more favourable provisions set out in the relevant national collective bargaining agreement (contratto collettivo nazionale di lavoro, ‘CCNL’).

Finally, with the above-mentioned conversion Law, the right to remote working is renewed for parents who are private sector employees with at least one child under the age of 14, a protection that had last been extended until 31 December 2022.

In the latter case, said right to remote working arises where the following conditions are met:

• there is no other parent in the family who is a beneficiary of income support benefits relating to suspension or cessation of work or who is not working;
• remote work is compatible with the work carried out.

Other related insights:

• A new remote working regulation applies from today
• Contribution and tax relief introduced by the budget law and extension of remote working for vulnerable persons