The French are at it again!

[RandyWanger]

It's a good life

 

[larus]

Yep. My old boss had a go at me for not spending my Sunday afternoons checking my emails and preparing for the week ahead. Apparently I was unprofessional.

I left that job.

That's unreasonable behaviour (on his part ), but i think this is probably more of an issue for middle/senior management than the average worker.

I feel that the majority of employed people will be in positions where they aren't required to be available outside of working hours. For those who wish to get on and succeed, I don't see a great problem with doing additional things if required (the issue is if the exceptional items become the norm and encroach too much). If that's the case, then be brave like Notters and 'tell em to stick it'.

 

[Poyningsgull]

That depends on the wage. I can't see high up people in France not still expected to have a phone with them at certain times.

It depends on the wording of the contract you signed. "Hours as req'd" is normally a good gotcha. But admittedly that would normally be for senior staff.

 

[Triggaaar]

It depends on the wording of the contract you signed. "Hours as req'd" is normally a good gotcha. But admittedly that would normally be for senior staff.

Indeed. Moderately paid staff here shouldn't be expected to be contactable, but directors should.

 

[clapham_gull]

Unenforceable.

Already the law in Germany and has been for 3 years.

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[Neville's Breakfast]

Already the law in Germany and has been for 3 years.

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Just did some research and all I could find was a proposal for an anti stress law and a voluntary ban by the German Labour Ministry and a few big companies. Whether they have or they haven't though this does seem a little old fashioned. Work patterns are changing and many people do not have regular working hours, work from home part of the time or do business with people
in different time zones.

 

[sjamesb3466]

is this a real problem? are there people expected to "work" on emails outside of office hours, that don't get on call allowances? most if anyone i know who responds to emails out of hours does so voluntarily, and working like this at evening/weekends/holiday is already covered by working time (i.e. you're not allowed to ask staff to do so, and take action to prevent them not taking breaks).

I have worked for three companies in the last 12 years and all three (two or which are multinational companies) expect their managers to respond to emails out of hours for no extra money.

In my current role I have got to the point where I was given a work mobile and I had to point out that if I did respond to any emails out of hours that would be at my discretion and should not be expected.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

They've only gone and given workers the right to not check emails outside of working hours!

French companies will be required to guarantee a "right to disconnect" to their employees from Sunday as the country seeks to tackle the modern-day scourge of compulsive out-of-hours email checking.

Thankfully we shouldn't expect that sort of nonsense here.

This idea has been knocking around for a couple of years. I didn't realise that it hadn't already been implemented.

 

[warmleyseagull]

Can't see how this will help them pinch business post Brexit from London.

 

[Dave the OAP]

I answer the work phone out of hours if someone calls or e-mails. It generally means someone needs some help, it's not a big deal.

Yep me too. Although I am responsible for change management for our European companies, India and Costa Rica and get calls and mails at all hours!

 

[Norman Baker suck my lozenge]

They've only gone and given workers the right to not check emails outside of working hours!

French companies will be required to guarantee a "right to disconnect" to their employees from Sunday as the country seeks to tackle the modern-day scourge of compulsive out-of-hours email checking.

Thankfully we shouldn't expect that sort of nonsense here.

Already in place where I work,any attempt to contact an employee,through any form of media outside working hours results in an extra days annual leave being granted,what's not to like?


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[dazzer6666]

Indeed. Moderately paid staff here shouldn't be expected to be contactable, but directors should.

This. Goes with the job in any kind of international firm. My direct reports/teams vary in time zones from me from GMT-8 to GMT+8, so I take a lot of calls/answer emails 'out of hours', as do they. There is a mutual respect of people having a life outside of work though, so it's accepted that a response might not happen until the working day of the person at the other end if not urgent. Quid pro quo, if I want to go to the gym in the middle of the day, I do.

 

[Mr Putdown]

Already in place where I work,any attempt to contact an employee,through any form of media outside working hours results in an extra days annual leave being granted,what's not to like?

Are you a civil servant?

 

[Norman Baker suck my lozenge]

Are you a civil servant?

Certainly not!

 

[Mr Putdown]

Certainly not!

Just joking.

 

[vegster]

They've only gone and given workers the right to not check emails outside of working hours!

French companies will be required to guarantee a "right to disconnect" to their employees from Sunday as the country seeks to tackle the modern-day scourge of compulsive out-of-hours email checking.

Thankfully we shouldn't expect that sort of nonsense here.

Hopefully this and the other ridiculous idea of 1-2 hour lunch breaks won't catch on here.

 

[withdeanwombat]

Safe!

Retired.

 

[cheshunt seagull]

In my experience it is a bit subtler in that you are not told to check emails outside working hours but given hell when even minor problems occur. This means that you check emails on Sundays etc. just to keep one stage ahead. These measures wouldn't prevent this type of pressure but are at least as a statement of the importance of work-life balance. There are no guarantees that the safeguards on employee rights will continue after we leave the EU and even less now that the whole process of departure is increasingly looking like it is being driven by the Alt-Right who have a very different agenda.