There is that psychological type out there, the clipboardwielder. The one who insists that there must be rules for everything, regulations, to make sure that everything is done in order, in conformity. That – rather Anglo Saxon it has to be said – idea that folks will work it out for themselves as they go along simply cannot be contemplated.
From a PR email:
The massive and rapid adoption of telework in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 lockdowns exposed gaps in the legislation governing telework arrangements across the EU Member States. In some cases, there was no regulation in place;
Can’t you just feel the horror there? People are doing something that is not regulated!
However, EU coordination of the regulations of Member States could establish minimum standards aimed at better protecting workers’ health and employment conditions. This could be done by adapting the existing social partners’ framework agreement or adopting new regulation at EU level.
If high levels of telework are here to stay, it is likely to lead to an increase in cross-border teleworking – something that so far has not been addressed in the new national legislation nor at EU level, but which could, however, have implications for social security rights and working conditions.
That’s right. Because some people might make cross border phone calls therefore there must be central regulations to cover 450 million people and their working from home.
Thank God we’ve left, eh?
What’s really so joyous about the claim here is that they’re noting that everyone has been able to just get on with it in that Anglo Saxon manner and that’s the very thing which proves that regulation is necessary…..
‘… it is likely to lead to an increase in cross-border teleworking – ‘
i think you may have missed the point. Cross-border teleworking would mean a worker would not need an employment contract, nor actually be employed in their Country of domicile.
‘… have implications for social security rights and working conditions.’
Translation: has implications for collecting social security contribution and income tax and meet crony union demands to keep non-union members from competing with union members.
The dot-com boom exploded under Clinton, like the credit-union boom and the Sears Roebuck shop-by-phone boom before that, largely on the notion that it was to be a new world free of clipboard-wielders. When Clinton looked away as Justice prosecuted Microsoft for “antitrust,” the bubble burst.
The EU could doom the current era of Covid innovation if it tries too hard to “secure” workers’ rights.
Exactly. The workers’ rights are precisely that they escaped some of the onerous regulations in the workplace.
Watch out for “workers rights” having the effect that some people are banned from working from home because their home does not meet the criteria.
Exactly.
Next will be the demand for a bureaucracy of home-working inspectors to come and nose around ones house in order to demand that one provides a “suitable workspace”. Which will, no doubt, involve paying a fee for a piece of paper to be told ones spare room is too hot/cold, too small/large, too dark/bright, not sufficiently accessible, etc.
Then, once the piece of paper has been issued, will come the demand for a special tax for the part of the home that is now a workplace.
The U.S. write-off for “home business” and the laptop as “business equipment” already come with a tedious number of picky rules, for which it is not enough to comply but to be able to prove you complied, during an audit there would otherwise be little reason to conduct.