Ever had that sinking feeling when late at night or on the weekend you see work emails filling your inbox? Now, thanks to the digital revolution the lines between the office and our home lives are increasingly blurred and that sinking feeling is all too common.
However, the French government is attempting to save employees from “digital burnout”, by voting through a bill which will give workers the legal “right to disconnect” from work emails.
In order to do this, President Francois Hollande used special constitutional powers to push a labor bill through the French Parliament. Under the bill, companies with more than 50 employees must state the hours during which staff must not send or answer work emails – normally in the evening and at weekends.
“All the studies show there is far more work-related stress today than there used to be, and that the stress is constant,” Socialist MP Benoit Hamon told the BBC
Of course, some people may object to this bill, thinking it will put them behind for the next day or week, but we shouldn’t underestimate the impact of being constantly connected to work.
One study conducted in the UK showed that employees who check their work email early in the morning or late at night feel more pressured which had a negative impact on their home lives. Their home life then had a negative effect on their performance at work.
A study by Harvard Business School professor Leslie Perlow, showed workers who were made to disconnect from work-related content on their smartphones and tablets felt happier at home – and were more satisfied, enthusiastic and efficient at work.
And while slightly different than not answering emails in the evening or on weekends, at PriceMinister – an online marketplace run from central Paris – chief executive Olivier Mathiot has established “no-email Fridays”, to encourage employees to resort less to digital messaging.
But while there is support for France’s “right to disconnect” law, there is some debate as to whether or not it will be enforceable. Currently, companies are expected to comply with the law voluntarily and there is no penalty for violating this law written into the legislation.
Read more by Nicole at kindersleysocial.ca/webarchive/nicole
