1 Legal framework
1.1 Are there statutory sources of labour and employment
law?
Several laws and regulations govern labour and employment
relationships. The primary sources are:
- international law, most notably EU law;
- local sources of law, such as the Constitution and the Labour
Code;
- collective agreements;
- individual agreements; and
- established custom not contrary to the principle of good
faith.
EU law has significantly influenced Portuguese labour law, as
transposed by the Labour Code approved in 2009, amended by Law
1/2022 and recently by Law 13/2023.
Parental rights are governed by Decree-Law 91/2009; occupational
accidents and sickness are governed by Law 98/2009; and
occupational health and safety matters are governed by Law
102/2009. In addition, specific statutes and regulations govern
particular types of employment (eg, sports work or domestic
service).
