Eurofound has just published a report on the impact of the right to disconnect in the workplace, illustrating it with practical cases. Indeed, digital technologies have made it possible to work faster at any time and anywhere, especially during the Covid-19 crisis. Since then, more than one in three Europeans work from home. But teleworking can have adverse effects on workers’ physical and mental health.<\/p>\n
According to Eurofound, workers are twice as likely to exceed the 48-hour working time limit, not get enough rest and work in their free time. To address this problem, there have been calls for a \u201cright to disconnect\u201d. MEPs have called on the Commission to bring forward an EU directive on the right to disconnect, a right they consider fundamental.<\/p>\n
Eurofound’s findings<\/strong><\/p>\n In its new report, the European Foundation comes to the following conclusions:<\/p>\n\n
\nNew agreements and legislation on the right to disconnect will need to take into account the factors that lead to the \u201cperceived\u201d need for constant connection, such as workload, lack of training and work processes that fuel over-connection. Management buy-in and regular reinforcement of the message about the importance of the right to disconnect will be essential to its success.<\/li>\n