With many people still working from home and technology available at our fingertips, the lines between work and personal life are becoming increasingly blurred. Add to that, ever-increasing expectations for productivity and revenue growth, and the pressure to be available for work at all hours of the day continues to build along with it. In fact, working after hours has become so prevalent in today’s society, that 80% of workers reported working beyond their scheduled shift, with 35% doing so every day, according to a recent Monster poll.
But people need downtime — time away from their work to recharge and attend to their own personal obligations. “The most democratized thing is time,” says Barbara Palmer, a leadership coach and founder of Broad Perspective Consulting. “We all get the same 24 hours, and in that amount of time, we have to figure out how to do everything we need and want to do. If I over-index the time that I work, that time has to come from somewhere else… If everyone is consistently working nights and weekends, that means employees have to forgo rest, recovery, family and friend time, self-care, hobbies, and interests.” Without that crucial time away, employee engagement and productivity takes a nosedive, burnout becomes rampant, and absenteeism and turnover skyrocket.
So, what can employers do to help ensure employees are prioritizing work-life balance and not engaging in work during non-working hours? Implementing a “right to disconnect” rule could be a good place to start.
What Does Having the “Right to Disconnect” Mean?
First implemented in France in 2017 as part of the broader “El Khomri” law, other countries as well as companies around the globe have since enacted their own “right to disconnect” rules. As the name implies, these policies protect employees from working outside of their set hours, meaning employees do not have to respond to emails, calls, or other work-related matters during that time. It can also prohibit employers from communicating with employees outside of defined working hours, except in emergencies or for scheduling changes.
Benefits of Adopting a “Right to Disconnect” Rule
The constant responsibility of being “always on” can certainly take a toll on the wellbeing of a workforce. Numerous studies, including Monster’s poll, have shown that excessive work demands and the inability to disconnect at the end of the workday can negatively affect an employee’s work-life balance, mental health, sleep schedule, and quality of work.
Implementing a “right to disconnect” rule can help alleviate that pressure of being available around-the-clock. In fact, the majority of workers said they anticipate benefitting from decreased stress levels and improved mental health and work performance if they were to work for an employer that offered them the right to disconnect.
“Adopting a ‘right to disconnect’ rule significantly boosts employee morale and plays a key role in reducing turnover,” says Kristie Tse, founder at Uncover Mental Health Counseling. “I’ve seen how giving team members freedom to unplug leads to increased job satisfaction. When employees feel their personal time is respected, they tend to develop a stronger loyalty to the organization. This approach allows them to recharge, ultimately enhancing creativity and productivity when they return to work.”
In addition to retaining top talent, actively promoting a “right to disconnect” policy can help attract candidates, especially in today’s tight labor market. After all, in Monster’s 2024 Work Watch report, candidates agreed that more flexible work hours is one of the most important benefits that employers can offer.
How to Implement a “Right to Disconnect” Policy
Implementing a “right to disconnect” rule can go a long way toward preventing burnout and helping employees achieve better work-life balance. “To effectively communicate and enforce a ‘right to disconnect’ rule, I recommend that employers take a proactive approach by integrating this principle into their company culture,” Tse says. “Clearly outlining this policy in onboarding materials and holding training sessions can help set expectations from the start.” Additionally, employers can encourage managers to conduct regular check-ins with team members to review their workloads and discuss work-life balance. Employers can also establish a designated communication platform for non-urgent matters or consider using technology to restrict after-hours communication.
But simply creating these types of rules is not enough, and that starts from the top down. “Employees are typically not on duty around the clock, but may feel they are if role models and leaders in the organization communicate regularly outside of work hours,” Palmer says. “While leaders may not expect a response, making a request or throwing information back to an employee may signal that it is now the employee’s obligation to respond quickly. Modeling behaviors, such as pre-scheduling emails to send only during work hours, taking vacation and unplugging during PTO, taking sick days where you are not working, and being loud about being present for your kids are all ways that show — not just tell — employees what is valued.”
Employers also need to be mindful of employees in roles, such as IT or healthcare, that often require constant availability and where having the “right to disconnect” might not be an option. In these instances, Maria DeLorenzis Reyes, executive coach and founder and CEO of MDR Brands, says employers can consider:
- Implementing rotating shifts to distribute the burden of being on call.
- Offering compensatory rest or additional pay to acknowledge their availability.
- Providing robust support systems, including mental health resources and flexible scheduling.
As organizations like Monster have realized, employees are your most important asset, so it’s imperative to find ways to help them do their best work. As outlined above, doing so can help strengthen your employer brand, bolster recruitment and retention efforts, and so much more. For employers looking for additional insights on how to ensure your employee support initiatives are reflected in your branding and recruitment marketing, turn to Monster Hiring Solutions where you’ll receive expert recruiting advice and gain access to best-in-class tools.