"The boundaries that once separated work from life used to be so obvious we barely noticed them. A commute signaled the beginning and end of the day. Office attire distinguished our professional identity from our personal one. Even leaving a desk at five o'clock marked a shift from our work persona to our private self - the original "right to disconnect" built into the structure of work itself."
"When work went mobile - and later moved fully into the living room - those cues disappeared. Without them, many people struggle to disengage. They close the laptop but remain tethered to tasks, emails, and unfinished conversations. As Microsoft's data shows, the result is an endless workday: professional life bleeding into every corner of the week, with no natural off switch."
"Italy and Spain quickly followed, and by 2024 at least 18 countries - including Belgium, Greece, Luxembourg, Mexico, Australia, and Ontario in Canada - had adopted versions of the law. The details vary: some apply only to remote or hybrid workers, others to all employees; some include fines or mandate contractual clauses, while others remain voluntary. These differences matter - research shows the benefits are strongest where enforcement is clear and coverage is broad,"
Traditional signals like commutes, office attire, and quitting time once separated work from personal life, but mobile and home-based work erased those cues. The loss of separation leaves many workers unable to disengage, producing an extended, dayless work schedule. Governments and employers have tried structural responses, including return-to-office policies and right-to-disconnect laws that began in France in 2017 and spread to at least 18 jurisdictions by 2024. Law design and enforcement vary widely and determine impact. Lasting balance requires enforceable rights combined with managerial practices, workload control, collective agreements, and technology and cultural changes that restore time sovereignty.
Read at Forbes
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