RIGHT TO DISCONNECT
Right to disconnect
Following the adoption of a resolution on this subject by the European Parliament, the Commission must now present a proposal for a bill on the right to disconnect!
Brussels, 15 February 2021
On January 21, the European Parliament (EP) adopted the resolution concerning recommendations to the Commission on the right to disconnect ( 2019/2181(INL) ) since, to date, there is no legislation on this subject.
With this resolution, the EP wants to protect the
fundamental right of workers to disconnect and not to be available after
office hours.
R&D was the first Union to demand the Right to Disconnect
in order to preserve the health of the staff during this health crisis (see: Le Renard Déchaîne special Right to
Disconnect ).
We are receiving more and more complaints from colleagues who find themselves
overworked by their service, no longer being able to preserve their privacy
and finding themselves on the verge of professional burnout and / or plagued by
health issues such as musculoskeletal problems.
A culture of "permanent
connection"
It is thanks to the digital tools that generalized
teleworking has been made possible during this health crisis resulting in
increased flexibility to services and staff, greater autonomy, and the
potential to improve work-life balance and reduced commuting times,
However, these digital tools have created a culture of
"permanent connection" with its drawbacks such as a number of
ethical, legal and employment related challenges, such as intensifying work and
extending working hours, thus blurring the boundaries between work and private
life (see resolution point B). Workers become available at all hours ...
MEPs stress that this
can have a detrimental effect on:
· workers' fundamental rights and fair working
conditions,
· limitation of working time,
· work-life balance,
· physical and mental health,
· safety at work,
· well-being…
In addition, MEPs recall that
"the use of digital tools for extended periods of time may cause a
reduction of concentration as well as cognitive and emotional overload;
whereas monotonous repetitive manipulations and static posture over long
periods of time may lead to muscle strain and musculoskeletal disorders;
whereas the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified
radio-frequency radiation as a possible carcinogenic; whereas pregnant women
may be at particular risk when exposed to radio-frequency radiation ... that
excessive use of technological devices can aggravate phenomena such as
isolation, techno-addiction, sleep deprivation, emotional exhaustion, anxiety and
burnout ... as well as increased monitoring of the worker by way of these
new intrusive technologies.
The
right to disconnect: a fundamental right also for the European Commission!
In order to remedy all these risks generated by the
“permanent connection” of the staff, R&D calls on Commissioner Hahn to set up a real policy on
the Right to disconnect within the Institution, especially since the health
crisis continues and it is highly likely that the staff will opt for more
teleworking when they return to normal life, by following the following
recommendations:
· Define a time slot when staff will be available and
which is respected by the services
· Do not exceed 48 hours of work per week while
preserving 11 hours of interruption between working days and having the
possibility of recovering overtime
· Prohibit work during free time, holidays, illness ...
· Prohibit all meetings ending after 5:30 p.m.
· Prohibit any possibility of surveillance using digital
technologies
· Train staff on these new tools so that they can work
satisfactorily and efficiently without overworking colleagues who have
mastered them
· Establish a framework regulating the minimum
requirements for voluntary teleworking
· Evaluate the psychosocial risks due to this new model
of work
· Establish a real social dialogue in order to design
and adopt a reference text
R&D supports the recommendations of the European Parliament and invites the Commission, as requested by the EP, to include the right to disconnect in its new strategy on health and safety at work and to expressly develop new psychosocial measures and actions in the context of health and safety at work, and to present a proposal for a bill on the right to disconnect.
Cristiano Sebastiani,
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