The right to disconnect: what the government’s plan to reduce burnout at work means for internal comms

Ever sat down to watch your favourite programme in the evening only to get a message from your boss you feel you really should respond to? What with our phones in our pockets and the rise in hybrid working post-pandemic, the lines between work and home life have become increasingly blurred in recent years. For some, being able to work around family life is helpful; for others, that feeling of never being able to switch off is a cause of burnout and stress. It’s why Australia as well as a growing number of governments across Europe have now given workers the right to disconnect. And pretty soon, it seems, workers here will have that right too.

So, what is the situation in the UK? And how can Internal Comms get ahead of any changes and make sure their business is already striking a good balance between performance and the right to downtime?

The right to disconnect – what it might look like here

Workers in the UK don’t currently have any official right to disconnect from work. But the new government wants to change that, saying it doesn’t want homes  ‘turning into 24/7 offices.’ It’s looking unlikely they’ll go down the legal route though and force businesses to comply. Instead, we’ll probably see a new code of practice with employers expected to have workplace agreements setting out contact hours and tailored ‘right to switch off’ policies. For example, workers would get the right to not have to engage with work emails, telephone calls and instant messaging outside of their contracted working hours and while on annual leave. There’s no signal yet about when this will happen; we just know it’s coming. 

Our role as communicators

So, what can we in Internal Comms do to get ready for this change?

First off, it’s important to be clear about what a right to disconnect would mean within your particular organisation. And to do that you need to know the current lay of the land, making sure you can answer the following:

·       Are you ‘always on’ or do you feel uncomfortable about not responding to unimportant messages?  

·       How do other employees, both in your team and beyond, feel?

·       Does leadership regularly send emails out of working hours expecting a response?

·       When do department emails and newsletters go out?  

·       What guidelines does your business already have in this area? For example, is limiting communication part of any well-being policy?

·       Is there company best practice guidance on things like email etiquette?

Once you’ve undergone your discovery period, be sure to ask your audiences for feedback on where things could be improved. And encourage line managers to start conversations with their teams about what works best for them. 

Together with HR, set out the company’s expectations around managing out-of-hours communication. This might include:

·       Providing employees with guidelines on which communication channels should be used for work purposes and when.

·       For out-of-hours, being clear on the expected response times to work-related communications – for example, that employees aren’t expected to respond to emails or calls after 6 pm or on weekends unless it’s a genuine emergency.

·       Ensuring there are plans in place for handling anything urgent that comes up outside of working hours. This could include having specific roles, a rota system within departments, or individuals who are responsible for responding to emergencies.

·       Encouraging employees to actually disconnect, for example by suggesting they use "do not disturb" modes on their smartphones.

While giving employees a right to disconnect isn’t likely to be something employers have to do, it will soon be considered good practice and something prospective employees will come to look for when they’re job hunting. More importantly, we should be creating workplaces that are good for mental health. Aside from it being the right thing to do, it makes good business sense as we all know that happy workers take less time off and are more likely to stay with their employer. And with our home and working lives becoming ever more blurred there’s never been a more important time to feel happy at work.   

 If you are looking for support around this, or to simply talk things through - we’re here and interested to know your thoughts. Contact us at: hello@cosymeerkat.co.uk