Right to Disconnect Position Paper
Today’s working realities and increased adoption of new information and communications technologies have introduced new challenges into our working environments. The boundaries between work and private life have been blurred. Since workers are constantly connected through digital tools, employers’ expectations have changed. A local discussion was recently sparked on the employees’ right to disconnect. This is a proposed right ensuring the ability of people to detach from work and choose to not engage in work-related electronic communications, such as e-mails, calls, or messages, beyond work hours and during their designated rest periods, including vacations.
MITLA believes that at this stage, a general public debate and consultation is required to determine the public sentiment towards the introduction of this right with all stakeholders, including employees, employers, trade unions, and professionals. As a first step, MITLA shall bring together experts from all sectors to discuss this right during a free webinar taking place on 23 March 2021 at 4pm. Following the event, MITLA shall gather, assess, and publish the stakeholders’ position on this right, and revise this position paper if and where needed on the basis of its studies. Finally, MITLA shall collaborate with international organisations and entities in publishing this position paper to seek feedback from other member states.
Read the position paper here.
