The right to disconnect could become the norm in the European workplace
DUBLIN — With more people working from home than ever before, it's time for a European-wide rule on the "right to disconnect."
That's according to Alex Agius Saliba, a Maltese lawmaker at the European Parliament, who is leading efforts on this issue.
The right to disconnect refers to rules that say an employee should not be expected to field work calls and emails, or communications with their bosses, outside of working hours.
In January, a majority of EU politicians backed a legislative initiative to call on the European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, to develop a bloc-wide directive on the issue.
"The political push is there because the visibility of overwork and this blurring between working time and private time has continued to be blurred during the pandemic because of the increase in the number of teleworkers, smart working, flexi-working so something needs to be done," Agius Saliba told CNBC.
The idea of the right to disconnect has gathered steam since the beginning of the pandemic as vast swathes of the workforce worked away from the office, often in their own homes.
