Can the right to disconnect ever work in America?

"It's not an emergency. No one is bleeding. No building is on fire. It's an email that begins with the words, "Just circling back." In France, this would be illegal. Or at least deeply frowned upon. Since 2017, French workers at companies with more than 50 employees have had a legally protected right to disconnect. That means, employers can't expect workers to answer emails or messages after hours."

"In theory, Americans love freedom. In practice, we seem to love productivity even more. Historically, we don't just work, we identify with our work. We humblebrag about being slammed. We apologize for vacations. We wear burnout like a well-earned Miss America crown. The unspoken rule is clear: If you're not reachable, you're not serious. I've interviewed hundreds of working parents over the years, and one thing comes up again and again: It's not just the workload that is crushing them, it's the anticipation of it."

A late-night phone ping from an email that says "Just circling back" illustrates after-hours work intrusion. Since 2017 French workers at companies with more than 50 employees have a legally protected right to disconnect, preventing employer expectations of after-hours responses. Similar protections exist in Spain, Belgium, and Greece. American culture prizes productivity and ties identity to work, encouraging bragging about busyness and apologizing for vacations. Working parents experience constant low-grade anxiety about incoming messages and the interpretation of silence as laziness, making anticipation of work as harmful as the workload itself.

Read at Fast Company