Right to hang up

“Dear Boss, it’s Sunday. I don’t want to be rude, but I’m hanging up.”

These words never came out of my mouth, but I have to admit that they should have come at least a few times. I have a conjecture bordering on the certainty, that many of you have faced such a dilemma at least once in your career.

It is not easy to set limits for a boss who likes contacting employees after working hours. Or maybe, on the contrary, it is very simple and only requires some assertiveness?

The Portuguese and Belgians no longer worry about it. Each of these countries has introduced a restriction called the “Right to Hang Up” or “Right to Rest” which prohibits contact with employees after working hours. The introduction of this law is a consequence of the mental illness of workers all over Europe and the world, who have become “constantly available” as a result of the transformation of office work into remote work.

Moreover, soon the “Right to hang up” may be regulated in the form of a directive resulting directly from EU law.

Monika Ciesielska
President at IMSA Search Global Partners. An experienced consultant in the recruitment of the management staff, including board members, and a leader of the recruiting team in the IT/Tech area. Enthusiast of digital transformation of HR processes. Podcaster at "Skrzydlaty HR" and "Top Leaders Club".
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