Right To Disconnect Should Be An EU-Wide Fundamental Right, MEPs Say

'RIGHT TO DISCONNECT’ SHOULD BE AN EU-WIDE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT, MEPS SAY

KEY FEATURES

• The European Parliament calls for EU legislation giving workers the freedom to be digitally separated from jobs without having to suffer detrimental effects.
• In its statutory proposal, which was introduced with 472 votes in favor, 126 against and 83 abstentions, MEPs insist on the Commission to propose a law enabling anyone who work online to disconnect beyond their working hours.
• It should also set down minimum standards for remote work and explain working practices, hours and rest times.

THE FUNDAMENTALITY

• Members of the European Parliament regard the freedom to disconnect a constitutional right that requires employees to refrain from performing work-related activities – such as mobile calls, emails and other automated correspondence – beyond working hours.
• This involves vacations and other types of leave. Member States are urged to take the appropriate steps to allow workers to exercise this right, including by collective arrangements with the social partners. They should ensure that staff are not exposed to discrimination, abuse, firing or other detrimental acts by employers.
• "We cannot hold back millions of European employees who are exhausted by the need to be always 'on' and excessively long working hours. Now is the time to stand by their side and give them what they deserve: the right to disconnect. This is important to our physical and emotional health.

THE IMPACT OF COVID-19

Since the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, employment at home has risen by almost 30%. This number is projected to stay strong or even to increase. Data by Eurofound reveals that people who work daily from home are more than double as likely to reach a limit of 48 working hours per week relative to those that work at their employer's premises. Almost 30 per cent of home employees record working in their spare time every day or many days a week, compared to fewer than 5 per cent of office workers.

SHOULD SUCH A RIGHT BE EXTENDED BEYOND EUROPEAN UNION AS WELL?! LET US KNOW YOUR OPINIONS IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!!