An article published on Tuesday in Granma newspaper refers to the matter, and reviews the trajectory of this modality in Cuba.

The text recalls that in the 2023 Annual Balance Report of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MTSS), one of the projections was to consolidate the use of telecommuting and teleworking, with the identification of positions allow the use of this modality that by their nature.

However, the 2024 report does not allude with the same force to this issue, neither as a projection, nor with concrete work results, the newspaper warns.

Granma indicates that Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero recently stressed the need to apply such labor modality wherever it is possible and controllable.

The leader noted that it is a question of distance work, teleworking, change of work, and shift work in the offices.

In this line, Labor and Social Security Minister Marta Elena Feito Cabrera, on her X account, has repeatedly noted the need to see telework and distance work as a constant form, and not as an alternative for contingency times during energy crises or the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the National Statistics Office (ONEI), over 4.5 million people employed in the economy in 2022, while the MTSS reported that about half a million employees were teleworking or telecommuting in 2021.

Considering the benefits of these employment modalities under the current domestic conditions, it is necessary even more to promote it, the article notes.

Since 2013, Law 116, Labor Code, established that the parties in the workplace have to agree on the schedule, duration the working day and structure of it. Meanwhile, Resolution 71 of 2021 establishes, properly speaking, a regulation on teleworking and telecommuting.

According to MTSS Employment Director Ariel Fonseca, in his recent appearance on the “Cuadrando la Caja” TV program, both are flexible forms of work organization, as they do not depend on the presence of the worker in the labor institution.

He explained that in teleworking, the employee does his work at home or in another place outside the entity, but the communication, the interaction with the institution is done through technological means.

On the other hand, in telecommuting, the employees are outside the entity, but do not depend on technology and, therefore, with more frequency, they visit the workplace where their are hired.

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