Would giving employees the legal right to completely disconnect from work during non-working hours be a help or hindrance to businesses? Find out what CEOs and business experts think here
CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on Management Today
‘Right to disconnect’ laws are nothing new; emerging from France and implemented in countries such as Italy, Slovakia, Canada and The Philippines, these bills and laws give employees the right to disconnect from work and not engage with work-related communications during non-working hours.
The term is yet undefined in the UK; current legislation includes the Working Time Regulations 1998, which introduced statutory limits around working times and breaks, but there are no concrete laws in place to prohibit employers from contacting employees outside of non-working hours.
However, the deputy leader of the Labour Party, Angela Rayner, has said she will introduce a ‘right to switch off’ if Labour wins at the next general election.
That is certainly music to the ears of frustrated and burnt-out employees, but how would it impact managers, leaders and the C-suite? Would such a law harm UK business? According to a poll on Management Today’s website, 70% of its readers believe that a “right to disconnect” would be a positive move for businesses.
But what do other CEOs and business experts think?
Professor Marco Mongiello, pro-vice chancellor for business and science, the University of Law
“It does not harm businesses unless an employee’s job is to provide on-demand emergency services to the business itself or its clients. Out-of-hours calls or emails from the boss rarely help to accelerate a decision and create aggravation and stress both for the receiver and for the caller.
“Employees’ reactions range from feeling inadequate at their job upon being caught off-guard by the surreptitious call, to frustration for the boss’ intrusion in their private life. Plenty of research shows that distraction and relaxation help tremendously our neurological functionality.”
Dan Laurence, founding director, Unite and Create
“It’s not the number of hours that we clock up which matters, but the quality of those hours and the results achieved. This legislation would also go against the very flexible working approach that many businesses and employees are benefitting from. Redressing work life balance should instead focus on effective training and processes which establish boundaries to positively impact employees and businesses alike.”
Dr Haley Beer, associate professor of operations management, Warwick Business School
“If a physically and emotionally healthy workforce is a benefit for organisations, as well as for societal progress in general, the principle of supporting better work/life balance can certainly be perceived as a positive move. This also depends on what is meant by ‘good for business’.
“If it is about typical productivity and labour metrics as a single figure, then perhaps you would see an overall drop in hours performed, which is indicative of being ‘bad’ for business in a narrow sense. But this does not give you any insight into the quality of those hours. Hours performed by an employee who is more satisfied, engaged, and resilient is likely to be overall more productive.”
Hector Hughes, co-founder, Unplugged
“It’s important to prioritise how employees turn up to work, rather than when. If employees turn up happy and well-rested, they’ll be more productive. Happy employees equal a more efficient and driven workforce. Overworked employees can’t problem-solve as efficiently. When you’re overworked, you don’t have time to step away from tasks to allow creative problem-solving through insight. So, by allowing employees to have the right to disconnect from work, you’re giving their brains the space to be more efficient and creative.”
Toby Harper, CEO and founder, Harper James
“Reversing the ‘always on’ reality created by new technologies is a challenge for everyone. But, if employees need regulation to provide ‘a right to disconnect’, that is a symptom of a broken culture rather than a solution for one. Bringing about ‘right to disconnect’ legislation may force employers to think about making changes but it’s critical that these go deeper than policies and extend to culture and values. In my view, businesses need less regulation and employees should exercise their right to move on if they are unhappy with their current work culture.”
Inna Solomatina, HR director, Dynatech
“We have to consider ‘productivity paranoia’, where employees feel the need to overwork, believing constant availability equates to good work ethic. This mindset, prevalent in many companies of all sizes, fosters a culture of overworking where individuals feel pressured to work outside regular hours to be considered high performers. A ‘right to disconnect’ policy could challenge and change this belief. It can also become a perk in attracting and retaining talent. Many professionals value work-life balance highly when choosing employers.”
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