We live in an increasingly interconnected world, where work emails and messages are available to access at any time through our mobile devices. These advances in technology have made it more difficult for people to find a balance between work and their personal lives.
The new Labour Government is attempting to address this issue, by proposing a ‘right to switch off’ or the “right to disconnect” as has already been introduced in some EU countries including France, Portugal and Belgium. Ireland has also a introduced a Code of Practice, which encourages a culture where employees feel that they can disconnect from work, stating that employees should not routinely be carrying out work outside of normal working hours and not penalized for refusing to do so.
Following in the footsteps of our closest neighbours, the idea behind Labour’s proposal is that employees should have the right to disconnect from work-related communications, outside of their scheduled working hours.
This right would seek to create boundaries for employees between work and their personal lives. Below, we examine the benefits and challenges, should the right be brought into force:
Benefits:
A right to switch off is likely to be beneficial in reducing stress, preventing burnout and promoting the overall mental wellbeing of employees. Constant pressure to respond to work communications (which seems to have increased since the pandemic) can result in lower productivity levels, increased absenteeism and high turnover of staff. The right to switch off has potential to create a more engaged and motivated workforce for employers.
Challenges:
Despite its benefits for employees, the right to switch off would create challenges for employers. It is important to ensure that these challenges can be balanced alongside employee wellbeing:
- Managing client expectations. Developments in technology have led to the inevitable increase in accessibility to immediate responses from service providers. Clients today expect responses more quickly than they ever have before. Employers will need to communicate clearly with their clients about response times and set realistic expectations.
- Change in work culture. Many industries are guilty of adopting a traditional mindset that relates long hours, with the productivity of its employees. To successfully implement a right to switch off, employers will need to explore and appreciate the benefits of a company culture that promotes work life balance.
Conclusion:
The lines between our work and personal lives have become increasingly blurred due to the constant connectivity brought about by technological advances. The proposed right to switch off has the potential to protect employees from increasing levels of burnout and poor mental health (issues which the majority of employers will have experienced over recent years).
However, due to a cultural shift and new expectations caused by constant connectivity, the right may be difficult to implement in practice. It is important to ensure that employee wellbeing is balanced against the challenges this will create for employers, to ensure effective change.
If you have queries or questions in relation to the proposed “right to switch off” or employee wellbeing issues, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the AfterAthena team (part of the Napthens Group) who are able to offer 30 minutes of free advice to QCS members.
