Report by Aarya Sinha
The law, ‘Right to Disconnect ’‘came into effect on 1 February 2022 in Belgium. It says that civil servants of Belgium will no longer need to answer their work related calls and e-mails after office hours, except during extreme and foreseen situations.
Petra De Sutter, the Belgian minister for public administration believes the law would safeguard the employees from excess stress and burnout, and will boost their efficiency.
What is ‘Right to Disconnect ‘?
Right to Disconnect is the human right where an employee has the right to disconnect from his /her work or to refrain from engaging in work related electronic communications such as e-mails ,calls, or other messages during non-working hours.
Such an employee shall not be subjected to any disciplinary action by the employer.
Why is the Right to Disconnect Important?
This concept has developed because of widespread use of smartphones and other digital devices. It means being “on call” has become a reality in many workplaces.
France was the first country in the world to introduce a proper legal framework of this law. Other European countries including Spain and Italy also have similar legislation that includes the right to disconnect and measures and discussions are going on in other member states also.