Remote work in Italy: the written lavoro agile agreement Nordic companies need

Many Nordic scale-ups are remote first. A new hire in Gothenburg or Tampere gets a laptop, access to the tools and a link to the remote-work policy. In Italy that is not enough. Remote work, called lavoro agile or smart working, is a formal arrangement that requires a written agreement between employer and employee.

What lavoro agile is  

Lavoro agile is a way of performing an ordinary employment relationship. Part of the work happens outside the company’s premises, without a fixed workplace, organised by phases, cycles and goals rather than physical presence.

It is not a different type of contract. The employee keeps the same pay rules and rights as colleagues on site. The agreement governs only the remote part.

It also differs from classic telework, where the employee works from one fixed remote location. Lavoro agile is more flexible, which is why the rules must be written.

Why it must be written  

The agreement is required for administrative purposes and as proof. In practice it:

• shows that both sides agreed;
• sets the limits of the employer’s control over someone working out of sight;
• supports the mandatory communication to the authorities;
• protects both sides in a dispute about hours, tools, safety or discipline.

A global remote policy written for Sweden or Denmark usually does not address the points Italian law expects.

What it covers  

How the work is done outside the premises. Which activities can be remote, how the employee reports and how the employer directs the work, and which technology is used.

The employer’s control. Monitoring employees is restricted in Italy. The agreement states how supervision works and must respect the rules on remote monitoring. If you use productivity or monitoring software, check this first.

Discipline. Conduct outside the premises that can lead to disciplinary action, so the employee knows the rules.

Tools. Who provides laptop and phone, who pays maintenance, who is responsible for security, and the conditions for any personal devices.

Rest and disconnection. Rest periods and the technical and organisational measures that make disconnection possible. Nordic teams generally like this part.

Duration and ending. Open-ended or fixed term, and the notice to end the arrangement. Some employees, for example those with disabilities, have stronger protection.

Health and safety. The employer remains responsible. It must give the employee written information on the risks of working outside the premises, and the employee must cooperate.

Equal treatment  

A remote employee must be treated no worse than colleagues doing the same work on site, including pay under the CCNL, training and career opportunities. For a remote-first Nordic company with no Italian office this is rarely an issue, but it matters if you later open one.

Fully remote, no office  

If your Italian employee will never have an office, the agreement still applies. It simply describes a fully remote arrangement. Equipment, safety information and disconnection rules become even more important.

Common mistakes  

• Granting remote work by email.
• Using one global policy for every country.
• Skipping the right to disconnect.
• Adding monitoring tools without checking the limits.
• Forgetting the written safety information.
• Not filing the communication to the authorities.

Steps  

1. Decide which roles are remote, and how much.
2. Draft the agreement in Italian, with an English version for your managers.
3. Align it with the CCNL for the role.
4. Set availability windows and disconnection rules.
5. Define equipment and costs.
6. Hand over the safety information in writing.
7. File the communication and keep proof.

As Employer of Record (EOR), we prepare the agreement, file the communication and keep it current. You run the work.

Questions we hear from Nordic companies  

Does a fully remote employee need an office address? The contract states a place of work, and the agreement describes remote work. We set both up so that the employee can work from home without an office.

Can the employee work from another country for a while? Short periods abroad are usually fine. Longer periods can move tax and social security to another country. Ask us before agreeing it.

More on engineering roles in Hire software engineers in Italy . For the cost of a remote hire, try the cost calculator .