Portugal: case law enshrines the right to rest on weekends for parents of children under 12 years of age

Portugal’s Supreme Court has ruled that a company cannot deny the right to rest on Saturdays and Sundays to an employee with children aged under 12 years. This decision follows a case brought by an employee against a supermarket employer. The national Labour Code provides for the for employees with children under 12 to request flexible working hours. Employers may reject such requests if the employee in question is deemed to be essential to the proper functioning of the business, or if the...