The right to refrain from working from home is crucial and could contribute to the UK's economic development, British authorities quoted by the BBC say. The government is currently examining models in other countries, including Belgium and Ireland.
“The government has promised to introduce a right to leave to prevent workers' homes becoming 24-hour offices,” the BBC reported.
Ministers are examining models in other countries, particularly in Ireland and Belgiumwhere employees already have a “right to disconnect” and are not routinely checked by their employer or required to work outside normal hours.
– It's about giving people time to rest – said the prime minister's deputy spokesman. He added that every “good employer understands that for employees to be motivated and productive, they need to be able to break away from work, and that a culture of being present can reduce productivity”. The BBC reminded that productivity is an economic measure of the amount of work done in a given time, which experts believe is necessary to increase wages and living standards.
The right to 'take time off work' in the UK
Similar provisions apply in Ireland, where regulations require employers to work with employees and trade unions to establish the circumstances of “separation from work”.
In Belgium, companies with at least 20 employees must have agreements on the right to “disconnect”. The regulations are part of a package of labour reforms proposed by the Labour Party.
Employees can take their employers to an employment tribunal if their terms of employment are breached. This can include a variety of aggravating factors – including constant contact with the employee after agreed working hours.
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