UK workers demand right to disconnect law amid overtime epidemic

According to an autonomy think tank report, women are particularly affected by the epidemic of hidden overtime from home, leading to a call for new “right to disconnect” laws.

Women are at a higher risk of adverse health consequences and mental distress as working extra hours from home; moreover, the report states that unpaid labor is becoming a growing problem.

In light of French law, the report proposed draft legislation that would make a “right to disengage”, which specifies workers won’t need to take work-related phone calls or read messages during their time off. 

It demanded two amendments to the Employment Rights Act 1996; to guarantee laborers’ right to completely detach from all work-related communications outside working hours and bring employment tribunals for any violation of the rule.

The report stated that in the prior study conducted by the Autonomy, Compass and the Four Day Week Campaign about overtime work amid the Covid-19 pandemic, women said that negative psychological health impacts had been felt by them excessively at all phases of the crisis.

The report suggested that an employer should not make an employee respond to any business-related communications or complete work outside their working hours or subject them to any detriment for neglecting to do so. 

43% of ladies are bound to have worked for more hours beyond the standard working hours than men, and for those with kids, this was much more correlated with mental stress, the study expressed. 

“Labor will guarantee that each worker has the option to flexible working hours and the right to detach from work. We require another arrangement for working individuals, and Labor will convey it.” 

The government authority has not upheld an option to disconnect; however, it has an adaptable working team taking a gander at the issues of working from home that emerged during the Covid-19.

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