French workers win legal 'right to disconnect' and avoid work emails out of office hours
RECEIVING a dreaded work email at the weekend or on holiday could soon be a thing of the past – in France.
French workers have now the 'right to disconnect' from work during the weekend
A new law forces companies with more than 50 staff to discuss how workers can ignore such messages.
France’s minister of labour Myriam El Khomri wants to deal with so-called “info-obesity” and a surge in unpaid overtime.
If a deal cannot be reached, then companies must publish a charter making clear what is expected from staff and the rights they have.
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Some large firms have already cut email connections at evenings and weekends to help reduce “burn-out” among employees.
The working week in France is just 35 hours. Sarah Jackson, of work-life balance charity Working Families, said a similar law could work in Britain.
She said: “Moves in France to give employees the ‘right to disconnect’ sends a strong signal about the importance of, and respect for, family time.”