Portugal, a Southern European country recently passed a law called right to rest. This new law bans employers of labour and office bosses and makes it illegal for them to text message, email or call their staff or workers outside the employees working hours for work related reasons. The move is part of changes being introduced to improve work-life balance in response to an expansion of working from home in the country, give people more time to rest and have a good and peaceful family time hence why the new law was dubbed ‘right to rest’. 

Therefore, as of today an employer or boss in Portugal will be breaking the law if he calls a staff, texts a staff, emails a staff or sends for a staff outside working time of that staff for work related reasons and that employer will be made to face the law. 

The Portugal’s Minister of Labour and Social Security, Ana Mendes Godinho during a press conference in Lisbon while narrating the need for this new law ‘right to rest’ told the news men that “telework can be a game-changer” but its growth needs to be regulated.

It has always been the case that bosses at work feel they own their workers’ time and by extension owns the workers’ lives  and can ring any staff or send for any staff at any time they want and that staff don’t have a say on it unless the staff wants to get punished, queried or even loose his job.

This law should be introduced and adopted in all countries of the world and any country that cares about the good health, peace of mind and longevity of the lives of its citizens. Even the Christian’s holy books says in Ecclesiastes 3vs 1 that there’s time for everything; there’s time to work and time to rest and one should not take the place of the other.

Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Global, who has been in the bad book of the authorities for months now, is preparing to relaunch its ride-hailing and other apps in China by the end of the year. The preparation is in anticipation that Chinese authorities will end its Beijing’s cybersecurity investigation into the company by then, Reuters reported, citing three people directly involved in the relaunch.

The cybersecurity investigation and possible penalty on Didi is expected to be wrapped up in December, according to the people.

The company has set aside 10 billion yuan ($1.6 billion) for a potential fine, said one of the sources.

Didi came under investigation earlier in the year over anti-competition and misuse of private data allegations. In the report, Reuters, citing people with the knowledge of the matter, said the company, among other things, is working to wrestle back its drivers, who left to join rival companies following the regulatory restrictions.

In July, the powerful Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) ordered app stores to remove 25 mobile apps operated by Didi – just days after the ride-hailing giant listed in New York. It also told the company to stop registering new users, citing national security and the public interest.

Asked about its preparations to relaunch the apps and the amount set aside for a potential fine, Didi said the information obtained by Reuters was “pure hearsay with no grounds in fact” and that it was cooperating actively and fully with the cybersecurity review. It did not elaborate further.

The CAC did not respond to a request for comment.

Didi shares listed on the New York Stock Exchange rose as much as more 6.7% in early trading on Thursday following the Reuters report before slipping back.

Didi, which has about 377 million annual active users in China, provides 25 million rides a day to users in the country who sign into its app with a phone number and password. Its apps also offer other products such as delivery and financial services.

It ran afoul of the CAC when it pressed ahead with its New York listing on June 30, even though the regulator had urged the company to put it on hold while a cybersecurity review of its data practices was conducted, sources have told Reuters.

Soon after, the CAC launched an investigation into Didi over its collection and use of personal data. It said data had been collected illegally and the apps concerned including for its camera device, as well as delivery and financial services.

NEW DATA LAW

Didi responded at the time by saying it had stopped registering new users and would make changes to comply with rules on national security and personal data protection, and would protect users’ rights.

Didi has since been making changes to the apps to ensure they comply with China’s Personal Information Protection Law which took effect on Nov. 1, the three people with knowledge of the matter said, adding that all staff had to complete training about the new law.

The changes include an updated and lengthy user agreement for customers to sign that clearly defines what data will be collected and how it will be used, said one of the sources.

The company is also working on new strategies to recruit drivers for the relaunch as many moved to rival services due to uncertainty surrounding the business because of the investigation, this source added.

Its shares have halved since its New York debut to leave its valuation at $43 billion. The investigation came amid a slew of regulatory moves by Beijing that have upended norms for a range of sectors from tech to property to private tutoring.

In particular, China has instructed its technology giants to provide more secure storage of user data amid public complaints about mismanagement and misuse that have resulted in privacy violations.

The new Personal Information Protection Law states that the handling of information must have a clear and reasonable purpose, lays out conditions under which companies can collect personal data and offers guidelines for ensuring data is protected when it is transferred outside the country.