BusinessEurope’s position on teleworking and the right to disconnect

On 25 June, BusinessEurope responded to the European Commission’s consultation on the right to disconnect, pointing out that over-regulation could hamper the growth and benefits of teleworking and arguing for minimal EU intervention, leaving Member States, social partners and companies to develop their own policies.

Its main arguments are as follows:

• Current legislation already covers many aspects of telework and the right to disconnect. It is better to strengthen their application than to create new rules.
• Telework and the right to disconnect are two issues with different opportunities and challenges; the Commission focuses too much on the risks to workers without balancing this with the needs of businesses.
• Flexibility and the uptake of telework could suffer from over-prescriptive regulation.
• Collective bargaining at national, sectoral and company level is seen as more effective. The 2002 autonomous framework agreement on telework is cited as a successful example.
• Imposing new legislative requirements would weaken the social partners and the role of social dialogue and create unnecessary administrative burdens.
• Any initiative on the right to time off must be consistent with the Working Time Directive. Additional rules could undermine the functioning of companies and the flexibility of workers.
• The implementation of health and safety measures, while necessary, must respect the limits of employers’ control over the home working environment.

In summary, BusinessEurope advocates a balanced approach that respects existing structures and ensures that any new measures are practical and beneficial for all stakeholders.

To find out more
See the ETUC position
EUROGIP report “Teleworking and accidents at work in seven European countries”