The legal foundation of a remote work policy
Remote work does not change the labour relationship — it changes only its form, and precisely for that reason it needs a written internal rule that reconciles the demands of labour legislation with remote reality. This page explains which norms the text of such a policy must rest upon and how they translate into concrete rules.
A remote-employment policy in Georgia does not stand on a separate statute — its legal layer consists of four articles of the Labour Code: the essential terms in which working time and place are fixed (Article 14), the limits on the duration of working time (Article 24), overtime control (Article 27) and the leave minima (Article 31). The European telework framework and the recommendations of the International Labour Organization are instructive sources, but nothing in them binds a Georgian policy — the policy must stand on the articles.
The Two Pillars of the Policy
Article 14 names the first two pillars: working time and rest time, and likewise the place of work, are essential terms fixed in the contract; the policy's task is to ensure that these terms are defined just as precisely in a remote regime. The hourly architecture comes from Article 24: normalized working time does not exceed 40 hours per week, and 48 hours in a specific-regime enterprise with a continuous process; continuous rest between working days is at least 12 hours; where the day exceeds 6 hours a break arises, with a total of at least 60 minutes where the day is at least 6 hours; a nursing mother of a child under 1 year receives, on request, an additional break of at least 1 hour counted as working time; within a 7-day period continuous rest of at least 24 hours is due (a twice-consecutive 24-hour rest within 14 days is allowed); the caps for ages 16–18 are 36 hours per week and 6 per day, for ages 14–16 — 24 hours per week and 4 per day. A policy that copies these numbers into its schedules inherits their enforceability.
Managing Invisible Overtime
In a remote regime overtime is the least visible risk, and Article 27 gives the exact rules for managing it: overtime is work exceeding the normalized time by agreement of the parties, remunerated at an increased hourly rate together with the next monthly payment; instead of pay, the parties may agree on proportional additional rest — no later than 4 weeks after. The employer notifies of overtime in writing 1 week in advance, unless objectively impossible. A minor's overtime must not exceed 2 hours per day and 4 per week; employing a pregnant woman, a nursing mother, a person with disabilities, a minor or a parent of a child under 3 on overtime without consent is prohibited. Documenting this block — the notice form, the accounting rule and the agreement procedure — is precisely the policy's job.
Leave Minima
The policy takes its leave minima from the law as well: paid leave of at least 24 working days per year and unpaid leave of at least 15 calendar days (Article 31, paragraphs 1–2); heavy, harmful or dangerous work adds 10 calendar days per year. Different terms may be set by contract — but never by worsening the employee's position; a policy document must exclude that boundary violation from the outset.
In sum: a good policy text does three things — it fixes the minima of labour legislation, defines the rules of overtime and accounting in advance, and makes the boundaries of responsibility clear to both parties. Having all three together means the policy is not a formal document but a working instrument.
That is also the practical test of the text: if an employee and an employer, reading the same clause, derive the same obligation from it, the policy works; if they derive different ones, the clause must be rewritten before a dispute tests it.
Accounting and Documentation
One of the most practical parts of the policy is time accounting: in a remote regime the employer still keeps the daily written or electronic record and communicates the monthly document to the employee — this duty comes from the Code itself, and the policy must define its form and channel. A well-set accounting rule protects both sides: the employee — in the correct computation of overtime and leave, the employer — from groundless claims. The policy must also reflect the principle of equal treatment: a remote employee must not end up in worse conditions than an office colleague.
Is there a separate remote-employment statute?
No. The policy is an internal document built on the general norms of the Labour Code — Articles 14, 24, 27 and 31.
What is the weekly working-time cap?
40 hours; 48 in a specific-regime continuous enterprise (Article 24).
How is overtime fixed in a remote regime?
By written notice 1 week in advance, at an increased hourly rate or with proportional rest within 4 weeks (Article 27).
May a policy reduce the 24 days of leave?
No — Article 31 sets the minimum and worsening the employee's position is prohibited.
How We Help on Legal.ge
The Legal.ge team writes remote-employment policies on exactly these four anchors: the working-time and place terms, the accounting rules, the overtime procedure and the leave block — all within the Code's boundaries. Contact Legal.ge — a policy is only as good as its obedience to the law.