French law grants workers ‘right to disconnect’ from work email
Employees in France no longer have to feel guilty about ignoring their inboxes while out of the office. New legislation says employees deserve the right to enjoy their personal time.
It’s the beginning of a year, which means new laws are taking effect.
In France, one particular measure is capturing attention: French workers now have the legal right to disconnect from email, smartphones and other electronic workplace correspondence once the workday ends.
The rule requires organizations with more than 50 employees to outline a system that ensures work email doesn’t encroach upon workers’ personal time, such as evenings, weekends and time off.
When politicians proposed the measure last year, French Legislator Benoit Hamon told the BBC, “All the studies show there is far more work-related stress today than there used to be, and that the stress is constant.” The law is meant to help employees who “leave the office, but they do not leave their work. They remain attached by a kind of electronic leash—like a dog.”
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