THEor smart workingagile working, is no longer new, but has become, for some more, for some less, a consolidated reality in our lives. However, if working from the kitchen table or home office has become a habit, the rules governing this mode are becoming more stringent. In fact, today Tuesday 7 April, a rule comes into force which shines a light on an often underestimated aspect: the safety of those who work outside the office, with the introduction of heavy fines for companies who forget to properly inform their employees.
Smart working and security, what changes from today
The heart of the matter is Law no. 34/2026, better known as the Bill for Small and Medium Enterprises. This is not a new norm, he does not invent a new obligation, but it gives “teeth” to a rule that has already existed since 2017: the employer must provide written information explaining the risks associated with work carried out away from the company headquarters. Previously, in fact, this step was seen as a bureaucratic formality, but from today skipping it can be very expensive.
Heavy fines for those who forget the information
The news is causing a lot of discussion among companies, especially because it puts their hands on their wallets. In fact, employers who do not deliver the safety document to smart working workers, they now risk administrative sanctions ranging from around 1,700 euros to over 7,400 euros. In the most serious cases, the law even provides for arrest for two to four months. These fines are not intended to punish, but to push companies towards greater awareness. The information therefore becomes the tool to “educate” the workermaking him aware of the risks he runs even within the home.
From 7 April checks will begin on the obligation to inform employees about the risks of remote working. (Getty Images)
What the safety document must contain
However, a generic sheet with some common sense recommendations will not be enough. The information must be a detailed and updated document at least once a year. The general and specific risks associated with the activity carried out remotely must be indicated within it. Among the main themes that cannot be missed There are: the correct use of computers and tablets and the physical problems that can arise from them, such as eye strain or postural pain due to unsuitable sitting. A fundamental chapter is then dedicated to “Work-related stress”: that sense of mental fatigue that arises when the boundaries between private life and professional duties become too thin.
Smart working and safety: an awareness
This bureaucratic restriction was not created to limit smart working, on the contrary. The objective is to fully integrate it into the protection system provided for by the Consolidated Law on Safetythe main law in Italy that establishes how to protect the health of workers. In a certain sense, the law recognizes that the “workplace” it’s no longer just a room with a corporate desk, but wherever there is a connection and a task to do.
A new balance between freedom and protection
For small and medium-sized businesses, the impact will be above all organizational. They will have to ensure that each employee receives the document and that the RLS, the Workers’ Safety Representatives, the figures elected to supervise the application of the prevention rules, are always involved. Beyond sanctions and fines, which always seem to be needed in Italy, the law is a very important step that transforms security from a neglected fulfillment to a central element of daily management: because even if the employee is far from the eyes of the employer, his health remains a shared responsibility.
