‘Right to switch off’: Labour’s plan to ban out-of-hours work contact

Transcript

00:00Sick of late-night work emails, a team's message on holiday

00:03or calls from your boss on your day off?

00:05Well, thanks to Angela Rayner, that may soon be a thing of the past.

00:09The Labour government is pushing ahead with its election campaign pledge

00:13to give employees the right to switch off.

00:16This policy would allow people to ignore WhatsApp messages,

00:18emails and phone calls from their bosses,

00:20or decline taking on extra work in the evenings and at weekends.

00:24It's also expected to cover workers' annual leave,

00:27meaning that bosses would be unable to contact their staff while on holiday.

00:31However, it won't be mandatory for workplaces to implement,

00:34but it's expected to be recommended in the Codes of Practices for Workplaces.

00:38As working from home has become more commonplace since the pandemic,

00:41the government wants to ensure there are distinctive lines

00:44between work and home life.

00:46The move is part of a wider package of new rights,

00:49overseen by the Deputy PM,

00:51in an effort to boost the UK's productivity and economic growth.

00:55Apparently, the details of the policy are still being ironed out,

00:58so we'll have to see what actually materialises.

01:00So, what do you think?

01:02Would you like the right to switch off?