Instituto do Lay-off e a pandemia COVID-19: estudo sobre Portugal e Itália

The arrival of the coronavirus impacted social relations around the world, with particular effects on labor relations. Social detachment imposed isolation, generating several effects resulting from the reduction of economic activities, such as the risk to employment ties. The crisis suffered by the corporate world with unpredictability of the coronavirus made with countries being forced to create rules related to employment contracts in an unimaginable pandemic context. Thus, this study aims to describe and analyze part of the emergency measures adopted in Portugal and Italy for the maintenance of employment contracts. The present study is relevant because of the importance of work for the economy and for the dignified insertion of man into society. This situation being replicated in several countries, the comparative analysis of two distinct European legal systems aims to point out the similarities and highlight the divergences, considering the historical evolution and the economic and social position of each one, in order to identify possible legislative exchanges and improvements. This study will be prepared through a bibliographic and legislative review of Italian and Portuguese standards, using qualitative criteria. The results show that the measures presented were efficient in maintaining employment ties, and their suspension should be analyzed with caution, valuing the sacrifices made by employees and employers and avoiding a new economic crisis.