Remote Work's Negative Side Gets Debated by European Politicians

European politicians renewed debate on new remote work guardrails for companies and their employees — and WeWork and Zoom are trying to shape new legislation.

They’ll have their work cut out, however, as Europe’s lawmakers appear to be focusing on the negative aspects of virtual offices.

“There’s a dark side,” said European Parliament member Sara Mattheiu. “In short, the increased use of digital resources for work purposes has resulted in an always-on culture.”

Speaking at last week's second European Union roundtable, "In Search of a New Work-Life Balance,” she described how muscle strain, as well as cognitive and emotional overload, were also part of excess remote work. “It has a negative impact on fundamental rights and working conditions, including remuneration and safety at work,” she added.

The “right to disconnect” was a prominent theme during the two-hour debate. This is seen as the employer's duty to not contact employees outside of work hours unless it’s an emergency or an issue that can't be delayed.

Mattheiu said it was an indispensable right in the digital era, but noted it was not explicitly regulated in European Union law. “There are some member states that have adapted this in a national arrangement, some by legal frameworks or social agreements,” she said. “It differs between states, which creates a legal loophole. We need to anchor it to union law.”

Portugal is one country that is embedding the “right to disconnect” rule, and Miguel Cabrita, Portugal’s deputy minister of labor and vocational training, said at the roundtable that the country was trying to take the advantages that telework can have — “but also prevent the dark side as it also brings significant risks for workers, and also society at large.”

Many remote work pundits are hailing Lisbon as the new Berlin, and Cabrita outlined other initiatives: “