Rig ight to dis isconnect Stelmart Khalil Assistant Director, Wellbeing & Support People & Standards Division
Presentation Overview • Right to disconnect – a definition • Why is this an issue? • Some statistics • Examples of good practice • Way forward?
Right to disconnect – a defi finition • Refers to a worker’s right to be able to disconnect from work and refrain from engaging in work-related electronic communications, such as emails or other messages, during non-work hours • This concept has developed as a result of advancements in communication technologies and its impact on people’s daily lives • The expectation that workers are available at almost any time for online or mobile communication is now considered to be potentially hazardous to workers’ health (Eurofound, 2019)
Why is this an issue? • Feeling of overload through constantly checking our devices, decreased interaction with family • Always on culture is affecting mental health (University of Limerick) • Makes it hard for people to struggle with boundaries – the flashing light becomes so integral to our sensory experience that we feel discomfort without it (Psychiatrist Priory Hospital Kent)
Why is this an issue? • Diverts people away from their job, engages them when they should be resting at night and at weekends • May affect productivity if workers are constantly checking their social media, personal emails, etc. There is increased concern on this phenomenon, which may be very difficult to control and manage • Harder to stay focused and efficient if constantly checking phone/emails (Financial Times, 2019)
Statistics • Two-fifths of adults looked at their phones within five minutes of waking up & more than half said their devises interrupted face-to-face conversations with family and friends (Ofcom UK Communications Regulator) • A quarter of American adults were almost constantly online (Pew Research Centre) • Half of respondents admitted they had a constant need to check their phone (Deloitte long running UK survey) • Globally, social media usage is 2.3hours/day from 1.5hours/day 5 years ago (Kliener Perkins Report)
Examples of good practice • El Khomri Law - France. Introduces the right but does not define it, allowing companies to choose the most practical ways to implement the right taking into consideration the nature of the business • In Italy - Article 19 of Law No. 81/2017, specifies that the written agreement between worker and employer must also regulate the rest periods to guarantee the worker’s right to disconnect from company devices • In Luxembourg, the introduction of a legal right to switch off is the subject of debate, exemplified by a public petition (petition 1057) launched in July 2018. • In Germany, Volkswagen was reportedly the first company to implement a company-wide freeze on out-of-hours emails in 2012. The car manufacturer set its internal servers to not route email to individual accounts between 18.15 and 07.00. Many other companies have since followed suit
Way forw rward • Is legislation the only way forward? May not work for everyone • What about organisations developing guidelines that promote a balance between wellbeing and the benefits of being connected? • Some tips may include – respecting worker’s rest time, clear leadership modelling behaviour, discouraging ‘reply all’ emails if not absolutely necessary, and reminders that periods of switching off can be very beneficial psychologically • Promoting awareness that employees who may be experiencing difficulties to switch off they can ask for help • Other work-life balance measures already in place (Public Service)
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