Written by Heidi Wadsworth | 12th October 2022
This week is National Work Life Week (October 10 – 14), a reminder for employers to check in with their teams and look at what can be improved in the workplace to encourage a healthy work-life balance.
But how easy is it to find a good work-life balance? First smartphones and smart watches made work inescapable, then came working from home with PCs in bedrooms and laptops in kitchens. A survey of 4,225 UK employees from Business in the Community found that over 50% feel pressured to respond to work-related communications outside of working hours. The pressure some employees feel to be ‘always on’ and available is not good for anyone’s health, and the added stresses of the pandemic and then a cost-of-living crisis, hasn’t helped anxiety levels, either.
Employers are legally obliged to take reasonable steps to reduce work-related stress and we encourage you to push the ‘right to disconnect’.
What is the ‘right to disconnect’?
The right to disconnect allows employees to disconnect from work outside of normal working hours. They can turn off their phones, ignore emails and enjoy their free time away from work without being disturbed – unless there is an emergency or agreement to do so, for example while ‘on call’.
There is already legislation enforcing this in Europe – France, Italy, Spain, and more recently, Ireland follow a ‘right to disconnect’ law. But legislation is yet to be introduced in the UK.
A recent study stated that more than one in three UK business owners would be against the implementation of ‘right to disconnect’ legislation, despite over two thirds of employees being in favour of it.
While we can appreciate that some people prefer working in the evening or out of normal hours – a reason for many employers being against the right to disconnect – there should not be an expectation that others will respond at this time, nor that they will work the same hours.
At Reality HR, we strongly believe it is beneficial for employers to set boundaries for staff and promote a better work-life balance.
Prevent employee burnout
This recent report in the Guardian defines burnout as feeling drained of energy, becoming less professionally effective and feeling cynical, negative or distant from your job.
Employees have been feeling this for years, but burnout was only formally recognised by the World Health Organisation in 2019.
When employees experience the symptoms of burnout, it takes a toll on their mental health. This is both detrimental to them as an individual and your business as poor mental health at work can lead to a significant drop in performance and productivity.
The right to disconnect works to counteract burnout. Not only can it help promote greater staff wellbeing, it can also be an effective way to show your business cares for its employees, something that can help retain staff and attract new employees.
Supports a flexible culture
If your company is keen on building a culture of flexibility, a companywide ‘right to disconnect’ policy can enforce this, helping to show your support for employees. Employees will know that rather than having a never-ending work schedule, they have some discretion over when the day stops and starts, and when their work gets done.
Improve employee retention
When a business promotes a healthy work-life balance with policies such as the right to disconnect, it can have a significant impact on staff retention and ensure your company is seen as an attractive place to work for potential candidates.
In fact, according to a survey by CIPHR, over two thirds of people see a work-life balance as more important than their salary and employee benefits combined.
For now, the right to disconnect will not be legally enforced in the UK, but it is clear there are significant benefits to be had by supporting this, for your employees and your business.
Learn more on how to implement a ‘right to disconnect’ from our blog post.
If you’d like support creating a ‘right to disconnect’ policy, get in touch with our team at info@realityhr.co.uk.