Before the pandemic struck in 2020, a movement to help maintain a healthy work-life was building around the world. Technology was increasingly blurrin

COVID-19 pandemic sparks new laws banning after-hours work emails

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2021-07-16 07:00:09

Before the pandemic struck in 2020, a movement to help maintain a healthy work-life was building around the world. Technology was increasingly blurring the boundary between home and work. Many people now had work emails delivered directly to their phone resulting in a pressure to be contactable and responsive 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This led to calls for "right to disconnect" laws protecting employees from work encroaching into their recreational time.

And then the novel coronavirus appeared, sending vast swathes of the world’s workforce home. While the ability to shift to working from home is undeniably a privilege afforded by new technology, a growing body of research is finding this massive shift to remote work has led to longer hours and greater challenges separating work and home life.

“People’s experience of working from home during the pandemic has varied wildly depending on their jobs, their home circumstances, and crucially the behavior of their employers,” explains Andrew Pakes, research director from UK trade union, Prospect. “It is clear that for millions of us, working from home has felt more like sleeping in the office, with remote technology meaning it is harder to fully switch off, contributing to poor mental health.”