2024-08-28 16:26:10
Swiss employees generally do not have to answer calls from their superiors during their free time.
Photo: Getty Images
France is doing this and Recently, Australia: Employees have the right not to work after hours or during holidays.
It’s a reaction to the excesses of the work environment in the always-on era. The line between work and leisure is blurring. It’s becoming increasingly difficult for employees to rest after get off work.
The issue is also political here. The State Council Economic Committee supports the right to not go to work when working from home. Currently the law states that employees Only in exceptional cases Must be available during holidays or free time.
New technologies such as smartphones need to be used responsibly. For superiors and companies, this means that they only disturb subordinates in urgent cases outside of working hours. Under no circumstances should this become a rule.
Internal guidelines, not laws
In turn, employees should be free to read and respond to work emails after hours as they see fit. This explicitly includes the freedom to go offline during free time.
The new law means government interference in our freedoms, both personal and corporate. Therefore, companies would be wise not to let it get to that point. You must protect your employees from unnecessary interruptions outside of work hours.
A solution without new provisions in the labor code could look like this: companies voluntarily commit to publish internal guidelines on employee accessibility – preferably in consultation with the personnel committee.
It is up to the employee to decide whether or not to accept these rules and be willing to work. Therefore, there is no need to explicitly state rights that cannot be fulfilled.
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– What is needed is not new laws, but responsible behavior
Must employees be available during their free time? Two issues must be considered: the freedom to respond to emails during free time and the right to be offline.