Employment law will no longer be the same. The COVID-19 crisis has accelerated changes to existing regulations towards a more digitised working environment, home office, online meetings, and more. The Czech Labour Code is currently not prepared for such a working environment and must be amended to allow employers to react flexibly to other circumstances, which are similar to those we are facing today (e.g. use of electronic signatures, home office, health and safety). Employers should use the current situation for updating their policies and procedures, including establishing relationships with employees, improving health and safety requirements and procedures.

Decrees, orders or guidelines in effect and pertaining to reopening facilities.

Emergency measure issued by the Ministry of Healthcare no. MZDR 15757/2020-19/MIN/KAN – Duty to cover nose and mouth:

• inside buildings (except at home);
• using public transport;
• any place where the distance between 2 persons (at least) is less than 2 meters (except for members of household).

There are other exceptions based on age and occupation, e.g. children in kindergarten, employees performing work at the same place, when keeping a distance of at least 2 meters from one another.

Ministry of Healthcare Emergency Measure No. MZDR 20020/2020-1/OVZ – Prolongation of validity of the affidavits issued during the State of Emergency regarding health capacity to work for 30 or 90 days. As the employees could not receive their occupational medical exams (initial or periodical) during the State of Emergency, they were allowed to provide an affidavit instead. They now have a certain amount of time following the end of the State of Emergency to receive a standard medical exam.

The Czech version of EU guidance for a safe return to the workplace is available at the Ministry of Healthcare website, along with the Ministry of Healthcare’s Guidelines on how to prepare the workplace.

Optimal approach to keep track of the latest updates.

• Updates by the Ministry of Healthcare are available in English at: https://koronavirus.mzcr.cz/en/

• For updates by the Government on which restrictions are currently valid, please visit: https://www.vlada.cz/cz/epidemie-koronaviru/dulezite-informace/mimoradna-opatreni-_-co-aktualne-plati-180234/