São Paulo Mayor Makes Home Office Permanent for City Hall Employees

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – São Paulo Mayor Bruno Covas signed a decree that definitively establishes teleworking, or home office, in the public service of the city of São Paulo. City employees have been working from home since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Details on the rules for each career path and task will still be defined in future ordinances.

In justifying the measure, Covas’ text states that “from the experience with the adoption of the home office system during the emergency period, there have been satisfactory results for the Administration, such as increased productivity and improved service delivery,” that there has been “a significant reduction in costs” since work at home began and that “the global experience points to the irreversible path of teleworking.”

Still according to the decree, teleworking may not be undertaken should it entail any kind of impairment to public services at City Hall offices. Employees will be required to comply with working hours and targets set by the Municipal Secretary of Management. Employees will also be able to work under this system rather than applying for temporary leave to attend “congresses, courses, sporting, cultural or scientific events”.

Employees working in home offices must visit the department where they are employed, should they be convened at least four hours in advance. Attendance in offices will also be mandatory for at least one day a week, in a four-days at home, one-day-at-the-office system. However, the decree states that “joining the home office system does not represent a right of a civil servant or employee”.

Covas allowed three months for Secretaries, Deputy Mayors, and City and Foundation officials to submit a report of their actions to comply with the rule.

Source: Estadão Conteúdo