Background information

On 25 August 2020 the company Acciai Speciali Terni operating in the iron and steel industry signed a company-level agreement to launch a new experimental work organisation based on the smart working.

The first wave of the COVID-19 emergency shed light on the need for the company to reshape the organisational model implemented, by applying the smart working as an ordinary work arrangement beyond the pandemic phase.

A company-specific regulation of the smart working is introduced, in compliance with the law no.81/2017 regulating the smart and tele work and with the Law Decree no. 34 issued on 19 May 2020 (the so-called “Restart Decree”) (art. 90 on the smart working). The main objective is to promote a better work / life balance, a stronger digitalisation of the work in the company, to boost the productivity, and to promote a higher degree of social, economic and environmental sustainability.

Content of measure

The company agreement introduced the smart working as an ordinary work arrangement, regulated as follow.

The company lists the tasks and jobs that can be performed remotely through the smart working and all the personnel involved in these activities with both open-ended and fixed-term contracts, full-time and part-time, can apply to work remotely.

The smart working can be applied for one working day per week prior communication to the supervisor / head of the unit by Friday of the week before. The supervisor has the discretion to revoke or modify the application of the smart working for technical, organisational and production specific needs.

To abide by the daily and weekly working hours regulation, as established in the national collective agreement applied in the sector, the smart working can be discretionary performed in the time slot between 8:00 and 20:00, with a single break between 12:30 and 14:00. However, the employees are compulsory required to be available in the time slots between 9:00 and 12:30 in the morning, and between 14:00 and 16:30 in the afternoon.

The company will provide the necessary equipment to perform the job activity remotely (for instance laptops and ICT equipment).

Use of measure

The company agreement applies to the whole workforce of the company Acciai Speciali Terni involved in activities and jobs that are deemed adequate to be performed remotely by the management of the company.

Contents

• Telework

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Applies to all workers	Applies to all businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
Trade unions Company / Companies	No special funding required

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Agreed (outcome) incl. social partner initiative	No involvement
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: Company level

Involvement

The company agreement was negotiated by the management of the Acciai Speciali Terni and by the workers’ representatives at the company-level. The experimental agreement is valid for six months, but after three months its effectiveness will be monitored and jointly evaluated by the company management and by the workers' representatives at the workplace.

Views and reactions

The social partners are fully supportive: the agreement represents an experimental measure that can improve the well-being and the life-work balance of the employees and, at the same time, to promote a better work / life balance, a stronger digitalisation of the work in the company, to boost the productivity, and to promote a higher degree of social, economic and environmental sustainability.

Sources

• 21 September 2020: Adapt Newsletter (www.bollettinoadapt.it)