OPINIONISTA: Why remote employees should have the right to disconnect after working hours

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The South African government, in particular the Department of Labour, should seriously consider the right to disengage – the right of employees to not be constantly on call.

lthough increased flexibility has been a godsend to many employees throughout the pandemic period, it has also meant that they have had fewer opportunities to disconnect from their work. Many employees now find themselves bound by the so-called ‘digital leash’.

Calitz says legislation changes or a national code of practice need to be put in place in South Africa to allow workers to “disconnect” from work, as burnout among employees has become a growing concern. Without necessarily discarding the value-add of the digital age to many workplaces, this bill acknowledges that constant “digital connectivity has also been noted to be slowly eroding leisure time for employees hence affecting their work-life balance”.

Any employer found in violation of the work-life balance rules would face fines of 500,000 shillings or imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both. According to Article 27A , for instance, “the right to disconnect shall be limited only to the extent necessary to address an emergency arising out of the work falling within the responsibility of the employee”.

Some companies have adopted policies and practices to limit digital connectivity blurring work-life boundaries.

 

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