Novelties of the Legislation on Distance (Remote) Work: A Comparative Legal Analysis

The paper analyzes the novelties of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation regarding the regulation of distant (remote) work given the national and foreign experience in application and regulation of remote work, including the coronavirus pandemic situation. The paper gives particular attention to such topical practical issues of distant work as: types of distant (remote) work; the ratio of home and distant work; regulation of the working time ofdistant workers; the rights and obligations of employees and employers in connection with the use of distant work, including the “right to be offline”; issues of combining distant work with family responsibilities; social insurance of distant workers. Given the recommendations of the International Labor Organization, the legislation and judicial practice of the European Union, the experience of foreign countries, the author scrutinizes the novelties of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation and makes some proposals to improve distant work regulation. In particular, the author propose to aim at protecting the rights of distant workers and ensuring a balance of interests of workers and employers when using distant work mode, as well as eliminating gaps in the legal regulation of distant work.

1. Vasileva Yu. V., Shuraleva S. V., Braun E. A. Pravovoe regulirovanie distancionnoj raboty: problemy teorii i praktiki : monografiya. — Perm : Perm. gos. nac. issled. un-t, 2016. — 128 s.

2. Izbienova T. A., Celifev V. A. Evolyuciya «nadomnogo truda», ili Pravovoe pole frilansa // Trudovoe pravo. — 2010. — № 2. — S. 21–24.

3. Tomashevskij K. L. Izmenenie trudovogo dogovora i uslovij truda. — M. : Izdatelstvo delovoj i uchebnoj literatury, 2005. — 208 s.

4. Udalennyj rezhim raboty v usloviyah pandemii COVID-19: rukovodstvo dlya rabotodatelej. — Zheneva : Mezhdunarodnoe byuro truda, 2020. — URL: https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_dialogue/---act_emp/documents/publication/wcms_749872.pdf.

5. Cifrovaya gramotnost i udalennaya rabota v usloviyah pandemii : Sovmestnyj analiticheskij doklad VCIOM i Social Business Group // URL: https://socialbusinessgroup.ru/uploads/s/m/s/i/msiugb4swvjk/file/AMo1W3qz.pdf?preview=1.

6. Chesalina O. V. Vyzovy cifrovoj ekonomiki dlya prava socialnogo obespecheniya: socialnoe obespechenie rabotayushchih na osnove internet-platform // Rossijskij yuridicheskij zhurnal. — 2018. — № 3. — S. 134–143.

7. Ales E. Protecting work in the digital transformation: Rethinking the typological approach in the intrinsically triangular relationship perspective // Ales E. et al. Work in digital and smart organizations. — Cham : Palgrave Macmillan, 2018. — P. 11–28.

8. Brose W. Von Bismarck zu Crowdwork: Über die Reichweite der Sozialversicherungspflicht in der digitalen Arbeitswelt // Neue Zeitschrift für Sozialrecht. — 2017. — Heft 1. — S. 7–14.

9. Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales. Verbreitung und Auswirkungen von mobiler Arbeit und Homeoffice. Forschungsbericht 549. October 2020 // URL: https://www.bmas.de/DE/Service/Medien/Publikationen/Forschungsberichte/fb-549-verbreitung-auswirkungen-mobiles-arbeiten.html;jsessionid=309B39DE7B633124626C26EF97AAC1DB.delivery2-replication.

10. Eurofound. New forms of employment. — Luxembourg : Publications Office of the European Union, 2015. — URL: https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/sites/default/files/ef_publication/field_ef_document/ef1461en.pdf.

11. Finkin M. W. Beclouded work in historical perspective // Comparative Labour Law and Policy Journal. — 2016. — Vol. 37. — P. 603–618.

12. Fuhlrott M., Fischer K. Corona: Virale Anpassungen des Arbeitsrechts // Neue Zeitschrift für Arbeitsrecht. — 2020. — № 6. — S. 345–350.

13. Gschwind L., Vargas O. Telework and ist effects in Europe // Telework in the 21st Century. An Evolutionary Perspective / J. C. Messenger (ed.). — Cheltenham ; Northampton : Edward Elgar ; Geneva : International Labour Office, 2019. — P. 36–75.

14. Krause R. Digitalisierung der Arbeitswelt — Herausforderungen und Regelungsbedarf // Verhandlungen des 71. Deutschen Juristentages. — Band I: Gutachten. — Teil B. — 2016.

15. Loiseau G. La déconnexion. Observations sur la régulation du travail dans le nouvel espace-temps des entreprises connectées // Droit social. — 2017. — P. 463.

16. Messenger J. C. Introduction: Telework in the 21st century — an Evolutionary Perspective // Telework in the 21st Century. An Evolutionary Perspective / J. C. Messenger (ed.). — Cheltenham ; Northampton : Edward Elgar ; Geneva : International Labour Office, 2019. — P. 1–34.

17. Sachs T. COVID-19 and labour law in France // European Labour Law Journal. — 2020. — Vol. 11 (3). — P. 286–291.

18. Timellini C. Disconnection: A Right in a Phase of Progressive Definition // New Forms of Employment / J. Wratny, A. Ludera-Ruszel (eds.). — Wiesbaden : Springer, 2020. — P. 119–136.

19. Warter J. Crowdwork. — Wien : ÖGV Verlag, 2016. — 386 s.