European Countries Look To “Right To Disconnect”

The pandemic has eliminated yet another norm in the world of work: quitting’ time. Yes, it may be five o’clock somewhere, but does it matter when you’ve still got emails coming in and online meetings scheduled. 

Seeking a balance, several European countries are looking to enforce “right to disconnect” laws, some of where were taking root even before the pandemic struck. 

“The concept, first legislated in France in 2017, limits how much employees can be made to answer phone calls and emails outside working hours. But the massive shift to remote work this year — and the recognition that office life may never resume as it was — has Spain, Greece, Ireland and other European countries discussing how they can preserve worker protections when people are working from home,” according to the Washington Post. 

“I’m trying to have a similar rhythm to what I have in the office,” said Ochoa, 39, an administrator at an art business in Madrid.