Do you answer work emails after hours and on weekends? Do you resent it? Maybe it doesn’t make any difference to you. But what if it was against the law to expect you to do work outside of agreed-upon hours? A growing number of companies have passed “Right to Disconnect” laws. Here’s a short article to give you context.
The latest country to join the list is Australia. It joins a list of (currently) ten companies headed by France, Ireland, Brazil and Argentina. These laws vary, but the gist of them is that you cannot be punished or be at an employment disadvantage because you don’t do work-related activities outside of regular office hours.
The reasons for these laws are obvious. First, there’s the notion that people get paid for work as agreed, and anything that goes beyond that should be compensated. This remains a controversial point when hustle and “going above and beyond,” are considered badges of honor and employers will gladly take advantage of every ounce of discretionary effort employees provide.
There’s a second reason, and it’s actually the one cited in the legislation. There are social, psychological and physical challenges created by the increasing overlap of work and personal life due to remote work and digital communication tools. The aim is to address concerns about employee well-being, reduce burnout, and ensure a better work-life balance by setting clear boundaries. Constant digital availability is associated with mental health issues and, ironically, a decline in productivity.
We aren’t going to pass judgment on the appropriateness (or not) of mandating employer/employee relations. What is important is that this is a sign of the rapidly changing workplace, and an attempt to create new rules of engagement for employers and employees alike.
We are in the middle of the most seismic change in worker/employer relations since probably the early twentieth century. Just as overtime and other workplace laws created a new normal in what work looks like, we are now facing a new workplace without clear rules. Technology, the ability to work remotely, and a movement to reclaim work/life balance don’t fit neatly with some of the existing legislation.
There may be a time when legislation helps create a new normal. We may decide such laws aren’t necessary because people can decide for themselves how much of their personal time to invest, and companies can set their own expectations. At the moment, it’s every company, employer and employee for themselves.
The hope is that discussing the matter will result in honest conversations, ending up with clear expectations that help us all navigate the new world of work. If you have questions or want to talk about what this means to you and your team, let us know.
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