QCCL supports Right to Disconnect

“QCCL supports the introduction of a right to disconnect,” says QCCL President Michael Cope

The fact that we are able to send and receive messages, emails, and online content twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week means that it is increasingly hard to disconnect and enjoy private time. This particularly impacts those who work from home

Modern technology has created an epidemic of ‘hidden overtime', where workers never quite ‘switch off' and continue to do bits of work throughout the evening and weekend meaning the worker is never quite ‘off’.

Many studies demonstrate that ‘always on' work culture is a major cause of ill health – both mentally and physically

These technological developments have particular implications for women in the workforce. Expectations of constant availability, especially when consciously or unconsciously taken “as a proxy for commitment and merit”, can severely disadvantage workers with caring responsibilities, the majority of which continue to be women.

These changes in our society raise a number of rights:

1.    The right to privacy - the right of a person to be free of unwanted access. Having worked for the number of hours they are paid people are entitled to be left alone

2.    Article 24 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) says that everyone has the right to leisure and reasonable limits on work hours, something that the right to disconnect updates.

3.    The right to disconnect also implicates article 23 of the UDHR, that everyone has the right to work and receive fair remuneration

The Irish government has set out three key principles defining what the legislation must include:

1.         The right of an employee to not routinely perform work outside normal working hours

2.         The right not to be penalised for refusing to attend to work matters outside of normal working hours

3.         The duty to respect another person's Right to Disconnect (e.g., by not routinely emailing or calling outside normal working hours)

“Obviously any rule has to recognise exceptions such as emergencies, contacting employees to offer them work and those who are in fact paid to be on call.”

“We accept that there may not in fact be a one size fits all right to disconnect. Another solution might involve a right in some employers or sectors to opt out if the employers can demonstrate why the policy should not implemented in their business or sector.”

“In the nineteenth century the eight-hour day campaign led to laws that protected the rights of workers to leisure and private time. If steps are not taken modern technology will slowly but surely eviscerate those hard-won rights. This is why we need an effective right to disconnect” says Michael Cope

For further information contact Michael Cope President QCCL on 07 3223 5939 during office hours and at all times on 0432 847 154 

8 February 2024