Working conditions and sustainable work
Abstract
Las tecnologías digitales han hecho posible que muchos trabajadores puedan realizar su trabajo a cualquier hora y en cualquier lugar, con las consiguientes ventajas e inconvenientes que ello comporta. Los datos de Eurofound revelan que los teletrabajadores tienen el doble de probabilidades de superar el límite de 48 horas de trabajo, de tener períodos de descanso insuficientes y de trabajar en su tiempo libre, todo lo cual comporta efectos en cadena para su salud física y mental. Para abordar esta problemática, se ha reclamado el «derecho a la desconexión». El presente informe se basa en estudios de casos que ilustran la aplicación y el impacto del derecho a desconectar del lugar de trabajo. Se basa en investigaciones anteriores de Eurofound, que muestran un aumento de los convenios colectivos que prevén el derecho a la desconexión en los países que han consagrado este derecho en su legislación. Con el auge exponencial del teletrabajo provocado por la pandemia de la COVID-19, la importancia de lograr un mejor equilibrio entre las oportunidades y las dificultades asociadas al teletrabajo y al trabajo flexible basado en las TIC ha cobrado más importancia que nunca.
Key findings
Home-based teleworkers are twice as likely to exceed the 48-hour working time limit as workers onsite and are significantly more likely to work in their free time. Following the shift to telework during the pandemic, this is likely to lead to more hybrid working arrangements in the future, putting the spotlight on whether existing labour legislation is fit for purpose.
The experience of the first four Member States that have introduced rules and agreements on the right to disconnect prior to 2021 has demonstrated the pivotal role of the social partners in ensuring these rules are translated into reality on the ground. In countries with weaker industrial relations, legislation can provide a fallback option to ensure minimum standards are met.
The introduction of the right to disconnect in companies has revealed that a ‘soft’ approach through awareness raising, training and the management of out of hours connection is more common than a ‘hard disconnection’, which severs access to company communication during specific times.
New agreements and texts addressing the right to disconnect will need to consider the issues that lead to the ‘perceived’ need for constant connection, such as workload, lack of training and work processes that feed overconnection. High-level buy-in and regular reinforcement of the message on the importance of the right to disconnect will be critical for its success.
Although evidence of the impact of the right to disconnect on employee health and well-being, work–life balance, gender equality and company performance is lacking, social partners’ experiences at company level suggest that positive changes in company culture are taking place following the introduction of the right to disconnect.
The report contains the following lists of tables and figures.
List of tables
Table 1: Main opportunities and risks of ICT-based mobile work for work and employment
Table 2: Reasons for an absence of debate on the right to disconnect, mid-2020
Table 3: Case study companies and dates of texts containing the right to disconnect
Table 4: Dates, titles, nature, signatories, scope and coverage of the texts analysed
Table 5: Modalities and key features of connection and disconnection
Table 6: Main approaches to monitoring used by case study companies
Table 7: Qualitative and quantitative evidence gathered on implementation and impact of the right to disconnect
List of figures
Figure 1: Teleworking during the pandemic, July 2020 (%)
Figure 2: Share of employees in different ICT-based flexible arrangements working in their free time daily or weekly, 2015 (%)
Figure 3: Experience of teleworking and working hours during the COVID-19 pandemic, July 2020 (%)
Figure 4: Share of emails received outside of regular working hours that were addressed immediately (%)
Figure 5: Preferences regarding telework post pandemic by teleworking status, July 2020 (%)
Figure 6: Right to disconnect and status of legislation and debate in EU Member States, mid-2021
Figure 7: Key elements of hard and soft approaches to disconnection
- Number of pages
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70
- Reference nº
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EF21049
- ISBN
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978-92-897-2186-8
- Catalogue nº
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TJ-05-21-238-EN-N
- DOI
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10.2806/748556
- Permalink
Cite this publication
Eurofound (2021), Right to disconnect: Exploring company practices, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.