Remote work under the Georgian Labor Code

No dedicated remote-work article

The Labor Code does not mention remote work. There is no special framework, no mandatory remote-work agreement and no statutory rule on equipment, expenses or availability. Remote work is simply employment performed away from the employer's premises, and the general rules govern it: a contract lasting more than one month must be in writing (Article 12(2)), the place of work and the working and rest time are essential terms of the contract (Article 14(1)(c)-(d)), and the Code regulates labour relations on the territory of Georgia (Article 1(1)). The same rules apply whether the arrangement is full-time remote, hybrid, or occasional.

What to put in the contract

• The place of work — an essential term under Article 14(1)(d), including information on the different places of work where there is no permanent or main one (e.g. "employee's residence in Georgia")
• Whether the arrangement is full remote, hybrid, or occasional
• Working time and rest time — also an essential term (Article 14(1)(c)), including the hours when the employee is expected to be reachable
• Equipment provision — what the employer provides (laptop, monitor, software licenses) vs what the employee supplies
• Expense reimbursement — internet, electricity, workspace allowance; the Code has no rule, so the contract decides
• Data protection and confidentiality obligations specific to a remote setting
• How the arrangement can be changed — an essential term can be changed only by agreement of the parties (Article 20(2))

Working hours and the right to disconnect

The working-time rules apply to remote employees exactly as to in-office employees: normal working time of no more than 40 hours a week (Article 24(2)), at least 12 hours of uninterrupted rest between working days (Article 24(4)), a break when the working day exceeds 6 hours (Article 24(5)), and at least 24 hours of uninterrupted rest in every 7-day period (Article 24(7)). Overtime is work beyond normal working time by agreement of the parties and is paid at an increased hourly rate (Article 27). The employer is responsible for ensuring overtime is tracked and paid even when the employee works from home and is not directly observed. The Code has no express "right to disconnect"; protection from out-of-hours contact comes from these working-time limits and from what the contract says about availability.

Equipment, expenses, and reimbursement

The Labor Code does not say who provides equipment or pays home-office costs, so the contract should settle it. Common Georgian practice: employer provides the laptop and any specialized software/peripherals; employer pays a monthly internet/utility stipend; employee provides the workspace itself. If an employee uses their own equipment for work and the contract is silent, expect a dispute — put the arrangement in writing.

Hybrid arrangements

Hybrid arrangements (e.g., 3 days office, 2 days remote, or N days per month flexible) follow the same general rules. 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. Note Article 20(4)-(5): a change of the place of work set by the employer is not a change of essential terms if the round trip by public transport takes no more than 3 hours a day and causes no disproportionate costs, and neither is a shift of the start or finish time by up to 90 minutes — but changing both at once is. Misalignment between contract terms and actual practice is a common source of remote-work disputes.