EU promotes’right not to be connected’ outside working hours

In EU countries, one-third of workers are working from home, as the corona 19 epidemic has forced them to radically change the way many people work. In the midst of blurring the lines between work and individuals, members of the European Parliament that make up the European Parliament are pushing for the right to disconnect by turning off digital devices during off-hours and refusing to support work relations.

The European Parliament’s Employment Committee passed a resolution on December 1, 2020 (local time) that guarantees the EU state’s unconnected right to turn off work-related digital devices outside of working hours with 31 votes in favor, 6 votes against, and 18 abstentions. did. The Employment Commission says it is essential to ensure the right to not be connected to protect workers’ health.

The lawmakers who agreed with the resolution pointed out that the expectation that workers are always online and that they can respond to work contacts at any time can undermine work-life balance, mental and physical health, and happiness. To remedy this problem, he argued that workers should recognize the right to turn off digital devices without retaliation from their employers.

As the right not to be linked is currently not explicitly stipulated in EU law, the Employment Commission is going to require EU directives on the right to not be linked. A non-legislative resolution ballot will be held in 2021 on the right of the European Parliament not to be linked to enforce future regulations.

The representative of the Republic of Malta, who led the resolution, pointed out that the epidemic has fundamentally changed human labor. It is revealed that the guarantee of unconnected rights is a response to the new reality of workers. He pointed out that after working from home over the aoc months, many workers suffer from negative effects such as isolation, fatigue, depression, and exhausted muscle and eye disease. They argued that there would be increased pressure to demand that workers be always online, resulting in unpaid overtime and burnout.

Also, digitalization has brought many benefits to employees, such as increased flexibility and reduced commuting, but there are also pitfalls. He said that there is increasing pressure that employees can always be contacted and always respond, and that they need to guarantee the right not to be connected by saying that the working hours are not necessarily fair compensation due to the prolonged working hours, and the lines between work and individuals are blurring. Related information can be found here .