The right to “disconnect” throughout the Union? The commission is looking at the “work-life balance”

Journalists learned in the European Commission that work is underway on solutions relating to the law, which may turn out to be significant, especially for remote employees, but not only. – The “right to disconnect” could be implemented throughout, we read on the portal.

The “right to disconnect” in the area of ​​interest of the European Commission

“to disconnect”, also known as the “right to be offline”, would regulate situations in which an employee after working hours, instead of completely disconnecting himself from work devices (laptop, telephone), is available to employers in his spare time. The idea itself comes from France, where in 2001 the Supreme Court ruled that the fact that the employee was not reachable outside working hours should not be considered an offense against the employer. In 2016, French labor law explicitly included the “right to disconnect”. Employers who fail to do so may be imprisoned for a year and be fined € 3,750.

– The Commission is committed to following the EP resolution in full compliance with the principles of proportionality, subsidiarity and better regulation. We also intend to call on the Member States to address issues related to the EPSCO (forum composed of labor ministers of the Member States – ed.), The spokesman for the European Commission communicated to Interia.

Read more like this

When to expect the “right to disconnect” in the EU? “Some changes” later this year

The Commission points out that it will still be deciding whether it has sufficient grounds and data to initiate a public consultation on the “right to disconnect”. Unofficially it was announced that “some changes” will take place in August 2022. As the portal notes, it is then in the European Union that the directive “on transparent and predictable working conditions in the European Union” will enter into force.

The aim of the directive is that workers, wherever possible, are informed in advance and in advance when they will be working, rather than leaving it to the last minute. According to the directive, an employee could refuse to work if he was not informed about the necessity to work with the minimum notice period, and this refusal could not have negative consequences for him. – This in fact gives them the right to disconnect outside these periods – said the spokesman for the European Commission.

Recently, the “right to disconnect” – on a similar or slightly smaller scale, has also been introduced by Italy, Slovakia and Canada. In Germany, on the other hand, this law is applied by many large companies. Lawmakers pointed out that the digital transformation has a huge impact on people’s health, including the quality of life of employees who, in constant contact with their employer or colleagues, are often mentally and physically exhausted.

*****

Whats up! Gazeta.pl is playing # OneDzieńDłużej for the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity again. Any additional support for this action is invaluable.