Remote work under Georgian Labor Code Article 33

The 2020 framework — formal recognition

Before the 2020 amendments, remote work was tolerated in Georgian practice but had no specific Code framework — disputes over expenses, equipment, and after-hours availability were resolved on contract terms with no statutory backstop. Article 33 formalized the framework: remote work is now a recognized employment arrangement, with specific requirements for the written agreement and specific protections for the employee. The framework applies whether the remote work is full-time remote, hybrid (part-time at the workplace, part-time remote), or occasional.

Mandatory contract content for remote arrangements

• The remote workplace location (address or general designation, e.g. "employee's residence in Georgia")
• Whether the arrangement is full remote, hybrid, or occasional
• Equipment provision — what the employer provides (laptop, monitor, software licenses) vs what the employee supplies
• Expense reimbursement — internet, electricity, workspace allowance (typically a fixed monthly stipend)
• Communication availability windows — specific hours when the employee is expected to be reachable
• Data protection and confidentiality obligations specific to a remote setting
• Right to revoke or modify the arrangement (with appropriate notice — generally cannot be unilateral)

Working hours and the right to disconnect

All Article 17-18 working-hours rules apply to remote employees identically to in-office employees: 40-hour standard week, overtime cap, weekly rest periods, daily rest periods. The employer is responsible for ensuring overtime is tracked and compensated even when the employee is working from home and not under direct observation. The "right to disconnect" — protection from being expected to respond to work communications outside agreed availability windows — is implicit in the Code's working-time framework and is increasingly written explicitly into Georgian employment contracts following EU practice.

Equipment, expenses, and reimbursement

Article 33 requires the contract to specify the equipment and expense allocation between employer and employee. The employer is not required to provide all equipment, but if the employee uses their own equipment for work purposes, reasonable use-based reimbursement is owed unless the contract specifies otherwise. Common Georgian practice: employer provides the laptop and any specialized software/peripherals; employer pays a monthly internet/utility stipend (typical range varies but USD 50-150/month equivalent is common); employee provides the workspace itself.

Hybrid arrangements

Hybrid arrangements (e.g., 3 days office, 2 days remote, or N days per month flexible) fall under the same Article 33 framework. The contract should specify the cadence of in-office days, whether the schedule is fixed or rotating, and what notice is required to change the cadence. Mandatory in-office days for company-wide events, all-hands meetings, or training can be specified separately. Misalignment between contract terms and actual practice is the most common Article 33 dispute area.