Labour government to introduce the ‘right to switch off’ for employees
The Labour government is set to introduce the “right to switch off” for employees. (Getty)
The Labour government is set to introduce the “right to switch off” for employees as part of a scheme to reform workers’ rights.
After the pandemic led to a rise in remote working, staff members and employers have been re-evaluating their work-life balance. In fact, data shows that those constantly working from home could find there is extra strain on their romantic relationships.
But whether it’s feeling expected to reply to an important email from your manager or the ever-present pinging of Slack messages outside of work hours, the government is committed to ensuring that employees have a “right to disconnect”.
However, Labour is reported to favour the option of making the new right to switch off a part of a code of practice for companies over a certain size, rather than a new law.
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “The focus behind that is on improving productivity. Good employers understand that for workers to stay motivated and productive they do need to be able to switch off and a culture of presenteeism [where employers make a minimum number of attending office days compulsory] can be damaging to productivity.
“So it’s about making sure we have the right balance between making the most of the flexible working practices that we saw following the pandemic, [while] also having appropriate arrangements in place to ensure that people can stay productive.”
The Conservative Party have asked whether their flexible working policies would apply to civil servants and government advisors, to which Cabinet Office minister Georgia Gould has responded.
“Expected working hours are set out for all Cabinet Office employees in their terms and conditions of employment,” Gould said.
Currently, in the UK, all employees have the legal right to request flexible working, in which they can request a change in the number of hours they work, when they start or finish work, the days they work, and where they work. All employees can request flexible working from their first day in a role.
By law, employers must deal with these requests in a “reasonable manner”. If an employer doesn’t do this, the employee can take them to an employment tribunal. However, an employer can refuse an application if they have a good business reason for doing so.
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