They have the right to “turn off” outside of it work time workers; France, Spain and Ireland have workers establishing this right, but in the UK reasonThat, the law is still pending is in its infancy, in fact it is still at the stage of studying the legal framework.

“The protection of workers is achieved through working hours, the right to regular breaks, respect for privacy and family life and the obligation of the employer to look after the health and safety of employees,” said Chloe Halls, partner at the law firm Linklaters.

Proponents of the right to “tune out” argue that pressure on workers to stay in touch with their co-workers and fulfill work obligations even after they graduate reinforced due to remote work that began during the pandemic.

Managers and senior professionals are “more likely to socialize outside of work hours,” which is thought to be related to their prestige and high-paying positions, explains John Boyce, an economist at CIPD.

According to Will Strong, director of research and policy at the Autonomy think tank: Penalizing employers for violating the right to disconnect will be a ‘sound signal’ and help reduce “unpaid or overtime work.”

“Globalization means that for many of us the 9 to 5 schedule is no longer efficient or feasible», argues Matthew Goddard, director of Organix, voicing those who fear that after-hours laws could prove counterproductive by negating the benefits of flexible working. In fact, he proposes to establish corporate policies, rather than subject companies to “umbrella laws.”

But what do employers, CEOs and top managers say about the possibility of uninterrupted free time? How do they themselves experience the need to “extend” working hours and how do they treat their own subordinates?

Yes, but…

In 2020 the second largest bank in Ireland, AIB, became the first company in the country to establish the right to disconnect. However, its CEO Colin Hunt, he admits that the “turn off the switch” goal is something he is still trying to achieve.

He admits that he “does his best” by making time for important school activities for his three children, aged 10 to 14. “I treat them like very important meetings,” he says.

During the week, he definitely works 12-hour days, “but when I get home, I try to leave work behind. i’m trying to make one distinct division“.

As he acknowledges, he communicates with some of his supervisors after hours based on their respective positions. “If it becomes absolutely necessary to speak to an executive committee member after hours, I will. On the rare occasions when I need to be contacted, I will do it by phone instead of email,” he says.

His goal is to keep the family together for the weekend, and he says, “If I need anything, my team has ways to find me.”

OUR Michael Gaynormanaging director of financial services Toyota Ireland, are used to waking up in the middle of the night to write down a note or reminder, afraid to forget them. Now he realized thatyou can’t solve the problem eleven at night or Pat 4 in the morning. I have trained myself not to think about it until I wake up.”

He says he has to “all the time” convince employees to leave the office. “I need to know why someone works late… Because it’s not something we want people to make a habit of“. notes.

Despite the fact that Gaynor leads a company from Japan, which is known for its endless working hours and eight-hour time difference with the UK, Gaynor has made it his mission to make sure he and his employees stick to the schedule.

Employees who try to send an email outside of their office shift receive a response asking them to send the email during the business day.

“My business manager is on another vacation right now. I set the clock so that on Wednesday at 9 o’clock no emails are sent to his inbox, so he returns to the office, but receives them during the day, ”says Gaynor.

OUR Izi OURclapfounder and CEO of a small consulting firm Founder based in London, claims to be its 25 employees must be “sufficiently availableA frameA»noting that her business helping startupsWithserves “many programs beyond the classic eight hours”.

“You chase opportunities. You often don’t have the resources that big companies have. Employees work in different roles. Maybe they should be more accessible,” he says.

OUR Danny HarmerHead of HR at Avivafears that any law on the right to disconnect it will be too “fuzzy” for businesses that operate across different time zones or are available for customer service 24 hours a day.

Aviva does not have an official off-shift contact policy. The staff is in line with the corporate culture set by management, Harmer explains. “Very rarely do I see emails from management on weekends. If they do, it’s because there is a need to call or connect,” he says, adding that the issue of flexible work should be brought up for public corporate discussion. “Being constantly in touch is bad for your health. However, there is a gradation. I wouldn’t want anyone to feel they can’t turn to their boss for advice,” he admits.

Lisa Quest, head of US consultancy Oliver Wyman in the UK and Ireland, says any changes need to be made. in agreement with other companies so that no one suffers disproportionately.

As the saying goes, “what may work for one may not work for another“.

On a personal level, she and her husband have a designated area at the front door where they leave their cell phones when they get home from work so they can spend time with their kids unhindered — though, she admits, at some points during the day she will check her e-mail. Clients have her personal number in case of an emergency. “It never happened,” he explains.

Source: Financial Times.