Since the state of emergency came into effect in Portugal, the Government has approved exceptional measures aimed at protecting employment, but a number of situations have arisen that give rise to interpretations against the law, as well as measures that are inconsistent with their intended objectives.
Filipe Lamelas and Ana Alves da Silva, researchers at CoLABOR, are the authors of this third edition of "Policies in Analysis," which analyzes the inadequacy, omission, or problems in the legislation that creates and implements the measures in force in Portugal. During the ongoing lockdown period, many Portuguese men and women continued to commute to their workplaces. A large proportion of these workers were providing essential services, such as healthcare in hospitals and health centers, the supply of essential goods and services, sanitation, policing, and transportation.
All of these workers were exposed to an increased risk of infection. Others worked remotely because their tasks did not require physical presence at the company premises, or they only worked in person on some days during the lockdown period. Still others, having been infected themselves or belonging to at-risk groups, were absent, confined to their homes, or hospitalized.
Given the emphasis placed on confining people to their homes and restricting their movement as a way to counteract the spread of COVID-19, issues of occupational health and safety and inequality in exposure to the risk of contagion ended up being relegated to the background. But now that the return to work is on the agenda, it is time to discuss them.
