Portugal enacted new labor laws that penalize employers who contact their employees after work hours, as more people around the world began working from home following the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus.

Companies will also be expected to pay expenses to employees who work from home under the new laws, such as electricity and internet bills, which can be categorized as business expenses.

According to local Portuguese media, the new rules, which were approved by Portugal’s parliament last week, do not apply to businesses with fewer than ten employees.

Companies may face fines if they contact employees outside of working hours, and they are also prohibited from monitoring employees who work from home.

According to local media, parents in Portugal now have the right to work from home until their child reaches the age of eight.

Because of the coronavirus outbreak, Portugal was the first country in Europe to implement remote working in January. According to reports, the country required employers to provide employees with tools to work from home.

“The pandemic has accelerated the need to regulate what needs to be regulated,” said Ana Mendes Godinho, Portugal’s Minister of Labor and Social Security, according to Euro News.

“Telework can be a ‘game changer’ if we capitalize on the benefits while mitigating the drawbacks,” she added.

“We consider Portugal to be one of the best places in the world for these digital nomads and remote workers to choose to live in, and we want to attract them to Portugal,” Godinho said.