Can you run errands while working remotely?

You must be very careful when running errands while teleworking, as companies can sanction, and even fire, people who take advantage of their working hours to run personal errands.

10/3/2022

This is what can be seen in a ruling by the Superior Court of Justice of Madrid, which endorses the disciplinary dismissal of a worker who was dedicated to carrying out personal tasks such as washing the car, going to the hairdresser, or shopping during the working hours of his working day.

It seems that this person, who was teleworking, logged in every day as normal, and without taking any breaks, went to wash the car, to the doctor, to shop, or to have something to eat in a café. The TSJ of Madrid considered that his behavior amounted to an abuse of trust, and that therefore it is equivalent to a serious breach and deserves the maximum sanction of dismissal.

One of the main arguments of this worker is that he had already left the work done at other times, and therefore believed that he had the freedom to do all these activities during his working hours.

But according to this ruling by the Superior Court of Justice of Madrid, it is clear that personal assignments are not part of teleworking, since working from home does not mean absolute carte blanche to do whatever you want, but it is a great advance in terms of work flexibility, but yes, you have to continue working.

Run errands

Our Timenet workday registration system allows you to register the start and end of the workday from any place where there is an internet connection, and also allows you to register all breaks that are taken. It is a very useful system for all companies that want to correctly register working hours.

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