Telecommuting

The project of putting public employees on furlough was difficult to enforce, especially in certain areas where the fight against COVID-19 would have been affected, and this project "has fallen completely", Prime Minister Ludovic Orban told private broadcaster B1 TV on Thursday evening.

The coronavirus epidemic has expedited the modernization of the state and even the private sector. We have all seen the digitization of many public services, the growing and efficient use of the internet, the expansion of teleworking, the successful implementation of online education, while at the same time appreciating the resilience of the National Healthcare System.

Bill Gates has hailed recent initiatives developed to adapt to the "new normal" imposed by the coronavirus crisis, such as teleworking and virtual software innovations, with emotional intelligence consultant Justin Bariso arguing that a platform launched by the Greek National Tourism Organization is one such "brilliant" response to the challenges of the crisis indicated by the US tech mogul.

Enterprises found to be employing workers whose contracts have been suspended will be fined 1,200 euros for each employee, according to a decision by Labor Minister Yiannis Vroutsis. The fine will also concern corporations that have suspended the labor contracts of employees but still employ over 10 percent of them through teleworking.

During this unprecedented crisis, governments across Europe are intensifying their efforts to combat the global spread of the coronavirus by enacting various measures to support public health systems, safeguard the economy and to ensure public order and safety.

The Government will soon take support measures for the employees of the companies that are facing a difficult situation caused by the economic effects of the coronavirus epidemic, the Minister of Labor and Social Protection, Violeta Alexandru, said on Wednesday on her Facebook account.

Greece's first woman president who recently assumed office has chosen to make her first statement on the coronavirus crisis through Facebook.

Katerina Sakellaropoulou urged Greek citizens to meticulously abide by the instructions of experts and the state.

She particularly stressed the guideline that everyone who can should stay home and exit and move about only when necessary

Corporations in Greece are increasingly adopting solutions that allow for teleworking, video conferences and digital signatures while strengthening their cloud computing capacity, information technology sector professionals tell Kathimerini.

Acting Interior Minister Marcel Vela said on Monday night that interoffice memoranda will be sent to public and private institutions to have them explore the possibility of allowing employees to work from home.

The Hellenic Data Protection Authority (HDPA) fined a private company 15,000 euros Wednesday for illegally installing a closed-circuit camera network with which it monitored the workplace, even the cafeteria, without the knowledge of employees.