The right to disconnect from ‘always on’ availability

WITH boundaries between work and personal life growing blurrier than ever, there is a growing movement across the globe to formalise — and even commit to policy - the right of employees to disconnect completely during personal downtime.

- ADVAITA NAIDOO

There is growing recognition that employees need time to disconnect completely in order to perform optimally at work and maintain their mental health.

(Freepik)

While this is one response to the challenge of employees feeling pressured to be available at all times, even while on leave — finding a win-win solution requires a more nuanced approach.

For a while during and after the global pandemic lockdowns, when workplaces grappled with making work-from-home and hybrid solutions fair to both employer and employee, there was a greater representation of the employee voice. They felt heard and that their mental health was taken into account as it related to boundaries.

However, as the years passed, this alertness to boundaries faded. Fast forward to today, retrenchments and restructurings seem commonplace, and there is local and global economic uncertainty. The result is that many workers feel they have little choice but to be available and performing at all times.

This is a recipe for burnout, resentment and ultimately an unproductive workforce. Employers therefore need to think seriously about, and then effectively communicate, their expectations around availability versus the tight to disconnect.

While South Africa has not yet formally legislated a “right to disconnect”, existing labour laws like the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) provide workers with some form of protection by regulating maximum work and mandatory rest periods.