New rules for remote work and changes to the minimum vital income

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

1. The law applies to regular remote work: work done away from the workplace for at least 30% of the workday over three months. It distinguishes remote work, telework (using computer means), and on-site work.
2. Remote work is voluntary for both the worker and the employer, and a written agreement must be signed before it starts. The agreement must cover, among other things, the equipment provided, expense compensation, working hours, and the work location.
3. Minors and people with internship or training contracts must work on site for at least 50% of their workday.
4. Remote workers have the same rights as on-site workers: same pay, training, career advancement, and collective rights. The employer cannot penalize them for refusing to telework or for returning to on-site work.
5. The employer must provide and maintain the necessary equipment and pay or compensate remote work expenses. Working time records must be kept, and flexible hours are possible as agreed.
6. Health and safety rules apply, with risk assessment limited to the work area of the home. Workers keep rights to privacy, data protection, and digital disconnection outside working hours, and the employer cannot require installing programs on personal devices.
7. Access to the minimum vital income (ingreso mínimo vitalIngreso mínimo vital A Social Security benefit for households in economic vulnerability.) is streamlined: ex officio recognition is expanded, INE census data is used to verify information, and applications filed before January 1, 2021 can have effects from June 1, 2020.
8. The law takes effect 20 days after publication in the BOE, although several provisions on the minimum vital income and other measures take effect on the day of publication.

Who it affects

• People who work remotely or telework regularly: They must sign a written agreement, receive equipment and expense compensation, and keep all their labor rights.
• Employers with remote staff: They must formalize written agreements, cover equipment and expenses, and respect digital disconnection and health and safety rules.
• Minors and people with internship or training contracts: They cannot work remotely for more than half of their workday.
• Applicants for the minimum vital income: Processing is streamlined and retroactive effects for applications are expanded.
• Public administration employees: They are governed by their own specific rules, not by this law.

Words worth knowing

Trabajo a distancia

Work regularly performed at the worker's home or a place chosen by the worker, instead of at the company's premises.

Teletrabajo

Remote work performed mainly using computers and telecommunication means.

Reversibilidad

The right to switch back from remote work to on-site work.

Ingreso mínimo vital

A Social Security benefit for households in economic vulnerability.

Desconexión digital

The right not to answer work messages or calls outside working hours.

It summarizes the law as published in the BOE. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries