Do Not Disturb (DND) Employees!
A few years ago, a young lady IT professional who was working in one of India’s largest software company, used to tell me, how her male team leader used to harass her with phone calls after she left office. She complained that, despite having met the deadlines for the day, there would be no end to nitpicking by her boss, over the phone till late night. Fed up, she kicked up her IT career, pursued her MS in journalism abroad and now works as a professional journalist.
'Family Time' being a precious concept; several countries like France, Portugal, Germany, Italy and Spain already have the `Right to Disconnect’ law in place, where employees cannot be disturbed by phone calls, e-messages or emails after work hours.
The latest country to join this bandwagon is Australia, where employees have the right to disconnect from work after their office hours. This law is strong enough as it protects employees from any punishment if they refuse to respond to any kind of communication by their bosses, post work hours.
As per a news report in The Washington Post, "Employees physically leave the office, but they do not leave their work. They remain attached by a kind of electronic leash — like a dog, Socialist Party parliamentarian Benoit Hamon told the BBC".
The reasons why several countries have been asked to strictly follow this protocol is to promote a healthy work-life balance, ensuring that employees can fully disengage from work during their personal time. The laws have established a policy that discourages communication with employees outside of regular working hours, except in cases of genuine emergency
As quoted in a Reuters news report, “Before we had digital technology there was no encroachment,people would go home at the end of a shift and there would be no contact until they returned the following day,” said John Hopkins, an associate professor at Swinburne University of Technology.
The first country to introduce these rules was France in 2017 even before the Covid-19 pandemic struck our planet. At that time, noted pest control company was penalised to the tune of 60,000 euros for compelling an employee to have his mobile phone on, 24x7.
Key points to these laws can be summarised as follows:
- Respecting personal time: Employees should not be expected to respond to emails, messages, or calls after their designated work hours. This time is reserved for rest, relaxation, and personal activities, which are essential for maintaining overall well-being.
- Emergency situations: In rare circumstances where immediate communication is necessary (e.g., critical issues that could impact the company significantly), after-hours contact may be initiated. However, such instances should be the exception, not the norm.
- Encouraging autonomy: We trust our employees to manage their work responsibilities within the allotted working hours. Managers and team leaders are encouraged to plan and delegate tasks in a way that minimises the need for after-hours work or communication.
- Promoting a healthy culture: By refraining from after-hours communication, we aim to foster a culture that values employees’ time, reduces stress, and prevents burnout.
In India, bringing work even after you reach home is quite common. Many a time it is the bosses of companies who continue the work trail until they go to sleep. This is causing severe stress, lack of sleep, lacking of family time and general irritation within oneself. It’s high time India’s corporate world too follow in the footsteps of employee-friendly countries.