ISRAEL Law and Practice Contributed by: Tal Keret, Shira Lahat, Neta Goshen Brami, Shira Cohen-Mazor and Shirly Mahlab Hefetz, Arnon, Tadmor-Levy
• housing arrangements. Employers are required to report any changes in employment status, such as termination, resignation, or transfer to another employer, to the authorities within a specified period. Renewal and Termination Procedures • Renewal: permits and visas must be renewed annually, subject to continued compliance with all legal requirements and within the overall sector quota. • Termination: upon termination of employment, the employer must notify the authorities, and the worker is generally required to leave Israel unless authorised to transfer to another employer within the same sector. The rise of mobile and remote work in Israel, accel - erated by technological advances and societal shifts during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, has attract - ed increasing legal attention, although comprehensive statutory regulation remains limited. Mobile work is generally permitted under Israeli law, but employers must comply with various legal obligations drawn from data protection, occupational safety, and social secu - rity frameworks. Data Privacy The Israeli Privacy Protection Authority published guidelines for monitoring employees’ remote work on 17 October 2023 (the “Guidelines”). Such monitoring is subject to the provisions of the Israeli Privacy Pro - tection Law, 1981 and the regulations promulgated thereunder. The seminal case regarding monitoring employee use of computers in the workplace is Labor Appeal (National) 90/08, Tali Isakov Inbar v State of Israel – Commissioner for the Women’s Work Law and Others and the Guidelines extensively reference this case. Employee monitoring during remote work must be necessary, proportionate, and aimed at legitimate business purposes. Employers are required to inform employees in advance about any monitoring meas - 5. New Work 5.1 Mobile Work Regulation, Privacy, and Safety
ures and in most cases obtain informed consent, preferably in writing. High-impact monitoring tools, such as screenshots, keystroke logging, eye track - ing, webcam use, geo-location or audio capture, are considered highly invasive and may only be used in extreme cases when less intrusive alternatives are unavailable and a vital need for such monitoring has been identified. Monitoring should be strictly limited to working hours and work-related systems; employ - ers must avoid collecting information unrelated to job performance, particularly any data about employees’ private or family life. Data minimisation and security principles must be followed, including limiting access to the data obtained by monitoring, clearly defining retention periods, and ensuring that unnecessary or sensitive data is not retained or processed. The col - lected data may only be used for pre-defined and legitimate reasons (purpose limitation). Occupational Health and Safety The Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance [New Version], 1970 and related regulations traditionally apply to physical workplaces. While not explicitly extended to remote work, employers are advised to conduct risk assessments and ensure ergonomic and safe working conditions for employees working from home. This includes guidance on workstation setup, work-hour limitations, and rest breaks to avoid fatigue or burnout. Accidents that might occur while work - ing from home will likely to be recognised as work accidents. Social Security and Labor Rights Remote and mobile workers remain fully covered under Israel’s National Insurance Law, and their enti - tlements under general labour law, such as minimum wage, annual leave, and social benefit, are unaffected by work location. However, enforcement challenges may arise concerning hours worked and employee supervision, prompting many employers to adopt electronic attendance systems and transparent poli - cies. Sexual harassment prevention law and regulations also apply to remote working environments, especially the use of Zoom or similar platforms. Employers are advised to update their sexual harassment preven -
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