By: Dalia Abdelghany & Malak Salem

The Prime Minister has issued Decree No. 982 of 2026 (the “Decree”), which was published in the Official Gazette on April 2, 2026. The Decree mandates a temporary requirement for remote working arrangements for specific sectors and administrative roles during the month of April 2026. Complementing this Decree, the Ministry of Labour has issued a circular to all labour directorates to ensure oversight and weekly reporting on compliance.

Key Obligations

Mandatory Remote Work Requirement:

Employers are required to implement remote working arrangements for employees on Sundays throughout April 2026, commencing on Sunday, 5 April 2026, provided that such arrangements do not adversely affect business operations.

Scope and Applicability:

The remote working requirement applies to private sector establishments operating in the following sectors:

• Establishments operating in the communications and information technology sector, with the exception of outsourced activities, call center services, business management, design, production and development of software and electronics, and technological activities that by their nature require actual presence for operation, maintenance, technical securing, or the management and operation of technical infrastructure or data centers, or the provision of direct or indirect technical support.
• Financial services and accounting.
• Marketing, media and digital activities.
• Real estate services.
• Remote training activities.
• Associations and non-governmental non-profit institutions.
• Headquarters of trade unions, professional syndicates, and employer federations.

• Remote work shall apply to all other establishments operating in other sectors and activities in respect of employees in jobs, business and administrative departments that do not affect business operations, including administrative and office services, human resources, accounting and legal consultations.

Exempted Sectors:

Certain sectors and roles are excluded where remote work is not feasible, including:

• Establishments working in the services sector.
• Establishments working in health sector.
• Establishments working in transport sector.
• Establishments working in infrastructure sector (drinking water, sewage, petroleum stations, electricity, etc.).
• Establishments working in industrial and production sectors, including their auxiliary services.

No Impact on Employee Rights:

The Decree confirms that remote work implementation must not prejudice employees’ rights, including wages, benefits, systems or existing contractual and statutory entitlements.

Implementation Oversight:

A ministerial committee, headed by the Minister of Labour and including representatives from relevant ministries, will monitor implementation of the Decree.  In this context, the Ministry of Labour has issued instructions to the competent authorities to undertake the following:

1. Follow up on the commitment of private sector establishments and all entities stipulated in the Decree to implement a remote work system.
2. Monitor and compile any obstacles, challenges, or inquiries arising in relation to the implementation of the remote work system.
3. Identify the sectors most compliant with this system and those least compliant, and the reasons for such.
4. Prepare a weekly statement/report including data on establishments that have responded to and implemented remote work for all employees covered under the scope of the Decree.

To download the PDF version, check this link.