Au revoir: workers’ right to French disconnection

FRENCH companies will be required to guarantee employees a “right to disconnect” as the country attempts to tackle out-of-hours work email checking.

A law comes into force today that obliges big organisations to start talks to define the rights of employees to ignore official messages on their phones.

The move will tackle the “always-on” culture that has led to an increase in what critics have called “unpaid overtime”.

FRENCH companies will be required to guarantee employees a “right to disconnect” as the country attempts to tackle the modern-day scourge of compulsive out-of-hours email checking.

An employment law will come into force today that obliges organisations with more than 50 staff to start negotiations to define the rights of employees to ignore their smartphones.

Overuse of digital devices has been blamed for everything from burnout to sleeplessness and relationship problems, with many employees uncertain when they can switch off.

The French measure is intended to tackle the “always-on” work culture that has led to a surge in usually unpaid overtime – while also giving staff flexibility to work from outside the office.

“There’s a real expectation that companies will seize on the ‘right to disconnect’ as a protective measure,” said Xavier Zunigo, an academic who specialises in French working practices. “At the same time, workers don’t want to lose the autonomy and flexibility that digital devices give them.”

The measure was introduced by Myriam El Khomri, the French labour minister, after a report warned about the health impact of “info-obesity”.

Under the new law, if companies cannot reach a deal with employees on