The new EU framework agreement for teleworking is expected to come into force on July 1, setting in stone the definition of remote working, which reached a critical point during the coronavirus pandemic with mandatory “work from home”.
Voluntary hybrid and flexible working arrangements are becoming more common, forcing the need to regulate work hours, the ‘right to disconnect’ and, more recently, cross-border benefits, such as social insurance contributions.
The latter determines where a worker designates their country of residence, regardless of if the employer is in another country.
This development also provides some sense of security to an employee.
All this sounds very progressive. But in Cyprus, as with everything else, it boils down to interpretation of the law and implementation.
Teachers were the first to fiercely oppose remote working, concocting all sorts of excuses, from privacy issues to pupils wearing pyjamas or cheating at home and eavesdropping by parents.
For them, it was not a matter of improving the quality of learning, especially for information-hungry teenagers who, despite their illness from the Covid-19 virus, were determined to attend class, albeit virtually.
In direct contradiction, they wanted to work as little as possible and get away with it due to the absence of inspectors.
This changed as the ‘eavesdropping’ parents now had first-hand views on how a teacher performed in the classroom and any constructive interaction.
Eventually, remote teaching became a permanent feature of the state education system, as many gave up fighting a losing battle against technological evolution.
Trade unions and employers are now fighting over the ‘right to disconnect’.
The “right to switch off” means that bosses are restricted from contacting workers outside of hours by phone or email.
Public sector workers already switch on much later than when they should clock in and switch off far sooner than when they should clock out; hence, there’s no one in the office when you call or visit.
The private sector wants to have some level of flexibility to allow messages (and instructions) to get through the last minute before clocking off, justifying based on the time zone difference from the eastern end of the EU to the western point while also arguing the need to deal with ‘emergency’.
All this boils down to a simple issue of trust.
And an employer establishing an open communication channel allows some leeway to squeeze in some last-minute work.
If the rules are implemented well in Cyprus, perhaps the next issue on the agenda should be defining work hours in general, as the hotels and leisure sector notoriously violate labour laws to keep the much-needed tourist and entertainment sector afloat.
Again, it boils down to trust and a healthy work relationship.
Suppose some employers continue to pay the minimum wage yet force bartenders, waiters, kitchen staff and housekeepers to work six-day weeks.
In that case, the service quality will decrease, and our hospitality sector will be uncompetitive.
A balance needs to be found, with the Labour Minister expected to follow teleworking and labour conditions closely.
Or else, Cyprus will once again outprice itself, remain uncompetitive, and no teleworking rules will help save the day.
