UK to allow employees to ignore calls, texts from bosses after work hours

Workers in the United Kingdomunder the new Labour governmentwould be able to ignore emails outside office hours undersweeping rights reforms. The new guidance for employers is being led by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner under which employees would get the "right to switch off".

They would be spared from any obligation to check emails or WhatsApp messages or answer calls from the upper hierarchy, beyond work hours, weekends and while on holiday.

The Labour administration wants to change the culture of the workplace and help boost economic growth - one of the biggest poll planks of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

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The move has been welcomed by the union bosses who believe that it will help employees decompress better.

“No one should be pushed to the brink because of their job. Ever increasing hours, pace and expectations at work are causing problems up and down the country. This is a recipe for burnt-out Britain," Trades Union Congress (TUC) General Secretary Paul Nowak was quoted as saying by inewspaper.

“So we welcome these measures to tackle work intensity. Introducing a right to switch off will let workers properly disconnect outside of working hours.”

Based on the controversial 'French style' reforms, the measure, however, would not be mandatory for firms and not enshrined in the newEmployment Rights Bill, according to UK media reports.

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Australia passes similar law

Earlier this year, Australian lawmakers passed legislation that gives employees the 'right to disconnect' by ignoring unreasonable calls and messages from their bosses outside of work hours.

Tony Burke, the minister for employment and workplace relations emphasises that the law was brought in to give employees certain rights.

"The world is connected, but that has created a problem," said Burke.

"If you're in a job where you're only paid for the exact hours that you're working, some people are now constantly in a situation of getting in trouble if they're not checking their emails, it is being expected to be working for a whole lot of time that they're not being paid. That's just unreasonable," he added.

Australia joined the likes of France, Belgium and Kenyawhohave introduced similar legislation.

(With inputs from agencies)