Portugal

Companies without “deadline” to respond to requests for continuous working hours

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 20/10/2026, 06:11:25 UTC.

Briefings

Since January 2026, workers with children under 12 can work continuously, but the law lacks a deadline for employers to respond to such requests. While the 2025 reform proposal included a 20-day deadline, the final legislation removed it, leaving employers without legal obligation to reply within a specific timeframe. This creates significant uncertainty about whether silence counts as acceptance or if employers can refuse without justification.

Key points

• Workers with children under 12 can work continuously since January 2026, allowing them to leave up to an hour earlier from work.
• Employers have no legal deadline to respond to continuous work requests, creating significant uncertainty about acceptance or refusal grounds.

Context

The continuous work regime was introduced in the 2025 Labor Reform, but the final legislation removed the 20-day deadline previously proposed. This change affects private sector employment rights and creates legal ambiguity regarding employer obligations.

Limitations

Evidence covers only the January 2026 implementation and the legislative changes between summer 2025 and spring 2026. No specific employer responses or individual case outcomes are documented, and the exact criteria for employer refusal remain undefined.

Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 20/10/2026, 06:26:48 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.

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