Bulgaria's Parliament: Remote Work Should Be Conducted From Fixed Location

The Bulgarian Parliament approved on first reading amendments to the Labor Code, which improved the regulatory framework regarding remote work. The legislative proposal submitted by the Council of Ministers received backing from 136 members of parliament, while five abstained.

The employment contract will specify the location for remote work, ensuring safety and enabling the employer to monitor task completion.

Based on the information provided by the employee or staff member regarding the characteristics of the workplace, the employer will be able to take necessary actions to ensure healthy and safe working conditions. There are provisions for using an automated system for recording working hours. The so-called “right to disconnect” has been introduced, allowing remote workers not to respond to employer-initiated communication during daily and weekly rest days.

An allowance is established for reducing the liability of the employer in the event of a workplace accident if the remote worker has not adhered to safety and health rules during work.

The Labor and Social Policy Committee and the Committee on Electronic Governance and Information Technologies in the National Assembly supported the amendments. The report of the Committee on Electronic Governance noted that the bill was approved by the leading social committee but with remarks emphasizing the need for more flexibility in remote work and the removal of the requirement for precise determination of the workplace in the contract or its annex. The deputies rejected the Vazrazhdane (Revival) Party bill, which proposed the removal of the six months for compensation payments in case of unlawful dismissals.

Iskren Arabadzhiev from the “We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria” (WCC-DB) party stated that they will not support the bill proposed by the "Vazrazhdane" (Revival) party, as the existing legislation already protects workers' rights. Regarding the bill proposed by the Council of Ministers, he stated that they would support it, but he demands changes to be made between the first and second readings. At his suggestion, Parliament decided to extend the period for proposals between the first and second readings of the changes to the Labor Code by 14 days.

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