Public services will work remotely tomorrow, on Monday, February 6, in connection with weather vane “Barbara”while the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs is issuing a strong recommendation to implement remote work also to private companies where possible.

As this phenomenon continues, the Ministry reminds of the duty of employers to take measures for the health and safety of their employees and to ensure that, based on current legislation, they do not endanger their employees during the performance of their duties. At the same time, they must take special care of those workers who work outdoors.

According to the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, any complaints filed with the Labor Inspectorate about violations of the safety and health measures of workers will be immediately dealt with with due attention and rigor.

It is also noted that in cases such as the current bad weather, the following are constantly applied:

1. When the business is operating as normal and the employee does not have time to go to work, despite his efforts, due to force majeure, he is due wages for that day.
2. As long as companies hire workers to work outdoors, they should be organized in such a way that workers are protected from adverse weather conditions, and in relation to workers belonging to high-risk groups (for example, heart patients).
3. In the case of technical and construction facilities, as well as work in ports, work is suspended in the event of a direct violation of weather conditions and resumed after the restoration of safe working conditions. In any case, it is forbidden to install or use lifting machines in weather conditions that may threaten their stability, and the supervising engineer must recheck supports, pits, etc., before resuming work interrupted due to frost.
4. Finally, with regard to employer enterprises, including digital platforms that employ distribution workers in both catering and other two-wheelers/distribution activities, it is emphasized that employers should, if they have not already done so, immediately provide distributors with appropriate protective equipment (helmet, gloves, waterproof protective suit, etc.). In addition to providing the necessary personal protective equipment, employers must also, in accordance with written regulations, immediately stop work in case of extreme weather conditions (snow and frost), since the protection of working distributors is a priority.

Especially for the regions of northern and northeastern Attica, the above recommendations are applicable in combination with announcements of the Ministry of Development and Investments.

How will the mayor’s office work tomorrow?

According to the circular of the Ministry of the Interior, due to extreme weather conditions, the following applies to the work of public services tomorrow:

1. In cases where, based on the nature of the duties of employees, teleworking is possible, it is recommended that, in order to protect employees from the effects of adverse weather conditions, teleworking, as far as possible, without interruption of work, the uninterrupted operation of public services. The provided remote work is confirmed by the head of the organizational unit in which the employee works, to the relevant human resources department.
2. Given that, on the one hand, the relevant legislation does not provide for the issuance of a special permit due to the impossibility of the presence of employees at work due to adverse weather conditions, and on the other hand, the decision has not been made by the competent civil protection authorities to suspend, in whole or in part , the provision of public services to employees who cannot
   due to the nature of their duties to ensure remote work or it is impossible to provide remote work for employees whose nature of duties allows remote work, but on weekends, on Monday, 06/02/2022, it is impossible to provide remote work due to the unpreparedness of employees to provide remote work, they will have to justify their possible absence from work by leave, which will be granted on the basis of written provisions for each category of personnel.
3. Alternatively, in case 2, workers are strongly advised to move to their workplace from a safety point of view, i.e. even at a later arrival time than indicated, without any adverse consequences, in which case, even for reasons of force majeure, their delay is justified.

The above applies to those employees whose duties are not directly related to the fight against adverse weather conditions. For these employees, the leaders of the advanced services to which they organically belong are competent to give instructions on how to provide work, in particular, competent managers of ranks a and b of hospitals, nursing facilities, etc.