The short answer: yes, you generally must pay the meal allowance on remote working days — unless the company has a specific internal policy, validated by a collective agreement, that reduces or eliminates it for telework days.

What the law says

The Decent Work Agenda (Law 13/2023) clarified that the meal allowance must be paid on telework days, unless the company's collective agreement or internal regulation specifically provides for a reduction. The law does not allow unilateral elimination of the allowance for remote working days.

What most companies do in practice

Most Portuguese companies continue to pay the full meal allowance regardless of whether the employee works on-site or remotely. Some companies with collective agreements have negotiated a reduced value for telework days, but this requires a formal agreement — it cannot be imposed unilaterally.

What to do

If you want to adapt the meal allowance to telework days, the safest path is to negotiate this within your collective agreement or, if you do not have one, include it as a formal written agreement with employees. Do not simply stop paying it without legal basis — that could lead to labour claims.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific situations, consult a labour lawyer.