Australia recently announced that it will be following in the footsteps of the likes of France and Spain to give employees the right to unwind after a hard day at work, thrusting the debate back into the spotlight.
The right to disconnect concept has already seen great success in the countries that were ahead of the curve implementing the measures. Improved morale, productivity and wellbeing have been reported for employees able to differentiate their personal and professional lives.
Albeit France and Spain have left the decision in the hands of the employee, meaning they have the right to disconnect should they wish to. However, Portugal has taken it one step further in prohibiting employers from contacting their employees outside of their working hours altogether.
Improved morale, productivity and wellbeing have been reported for employees able to differentiate their personal and professional lives
Navigating grey areas
Although, in theory, this sounds great for enhancing employees’ personal lives, in practice many question the grey area for on-call workers, zero-hours contracts and remote workers.
Remote and hybrid working patterns have gained more popularity over the past couple of years since the pandemic. Whilst many favour this way of working, with enhanced flexibility and no travel, some report they struggle to switch off as they can’t differentiate their personal and professional lives.
In practice many question the grey area for on-call workers, zero-hours contracts and remote workers
Many of us will have a eureka moment in the evening and reach for our work phone to send a message. Whilst this may showcase a certain level of passion within your job, and some deem this as a positive, it only highlights that you aren’t switching off from your work or giving your mind the well-needed rest.
To combat this, we have The Working Times Regulations 1998 which imposes the minimum rest period that employees should have relating to the hours they work, which employees must abide by.
Preserving employee wellbeing
For many of us, it is an inconvenience for our manager to call us after work about figures or even for a quick discussion and, as the law currently stands, there is nothing to prohibit employers from doing so.
As employers, we have a reasonable responsibility for our employee’s wellbeing. Therefore, when we are contacting employees outside of work, we should keep in mind whether we are overstepping a professional personal boundary that could negatively impact wellbeing.
To ensure that employee wellbeing is not taking a hit, some businesses have internal measures in place that stop employers from calling their employees out of hours unless contact has been pre-approved or under exceptional circumstances.
For many of us, it is an inconvenience for our manager to call us after work about figures or even for a quick discussion
Achieving a balance
In a new post-pandemic world, many offices have a mix of remote and on-site workers. These measures therefore need to be imposed for those who are working remotely.
To enforce this expectation, having an automatic out-of-office that is in place after the working day until the following morning could better communicate to those who have contacted outside of working hours that a response will not be forthcoming until the next working day.
By putting in proactive measures to help employees switch off after their shift employers will reap the benefits in the long run as this will aid employee productivity, boost morale and improve overall wellbeing which, in turn, will aid retention.
