Home / Blog / The Right To Disconnect From Technology Outside Working Hours

The Right To Disconnect From Technology Outside Working Hours

 

Should you have the right to switch off from work at weekends and evenings?

The right to disconnect from technology outside working hours. Should the Government stop employees checking their emails at weekends and evenings?

That is the question that is being asked about the future of the way we work, following a measure being pushed in France by President Francois Hollande’s Socialist Party. The measure is designed to offer employees the right to disconnect from technology outside working hours. Companies of 50 or more people are being told to draw up a charter to set out the hours when staff are not supposed to send or answer work emails.

French initiative to give workers the right to disconnect from technology outside working hours

French Socialist MP Benoit Hamon explained, “All the studies show there is far more work-related stress today than there used to be, and that the stress is constant. Employees physically leave the office, but they do not leave their work. They remain attached by a kind of electronic leash - like a dog. The texts, the messages, the emails - they colonise the life of the individual to the point where he or she eventually breaks down.”

This is not just a problem in France –seems to be something that’s on the rise in many countries, including Britain the right to disconnect from technology outside working hours.

But could a working hours charter that gives us the right to disconnect from technology outside working hours have an impact in the UK? And could today’s students expect to see their working hours protected by the law by the time they start work?

Why don’t we have the right to disconnect from technology outside working hours?

There is a real problem globally now, with people who fail to switch off from work or who feel the need to keep working late into the evening or at weekends. The development of technology (being able to stay connected to work away from the office via your mobile for example) has many good benefits but it has also created an environment where it can be difficult to escape work and really relax. And the competitive pressure to keep up with your peers and to carry on working long after you’ve left the office is a factor too – if everyone else is doing it, you’re going to look bad if you don’t do it too.

Any sort of ruling to protect the health of employees is always welcome and this idea seems to be all about making sure that workers don’t end up getting burnt out by a constant pressure to be at work.

International time differences affect the right to disconnect from technology outside working hours

Any ruling allowing workers the right to disconnect from technology outside working hours would need to take into account that we operate in a global marketplace. The need to work with people across different time-zones would make any ruling to stop everyone working in the evenings an impractical one.

Introducing flexible hours will help us gain the right to disconnect from technology outside working hours

With new markets emerging around the world, employers may need to look at more flexible working arrangements to cover contact with workers in offices in other countries. That said, if this can exist alongside measures to protect employees from having to work around the clock, then surely we will have reached a compromise that suits everyone when it comes to the right to disconnect from technology outside working hours.

About Moving On magazine

Moving On is devoted to helping young people make the right choices for their future – education, qualifications and careers. Moving On really wants to motivate you! Our articles cover a range of topics to inspire and give ideas. Our magazines are free for schools, colleges and sixth forms to subscribe. Ask your Head Teacher, Head of Sixth Form or Career Advisor to get on the list!

Comments are closed.

Scroll To Top