The government's pledge to introduce a ‘right to switch off’ has been favoured by many, but could it really help boost productivity and how exactly will it work?

The government has recently announced that it promises to introduce a ‘right to switch off’ as part of Labour’s deal for working people to ‘make work pay.’ Other countries such as Belgium and Ireland already have a similar model in place, known as the ‘right to disconnect,’ and the new government wants to replicate this code of practice.

The policy, which will see employers and employees agreeing to an expected set of hours within which they can be contacted, comes about following the rise in flexible working post-pandemic. While the shift in the way we work has, for many, been a positive one – allowing people to fit work in around family life – it’s likely to have contributed to our ‘always contactable, never off’ era. The government notes that we may have, in fact, inadvertently blurred the boundaries between home and work life, as people’s homes risk becoming “24/7 offices.” 

This is the culture that the government wants to tackle, by ensuring workers have time to rest. Not only does switching off protect the health of employees, but Labour also anticipates a rise in productivity – benefiting both businesses and the economy. 

“Good employers understand that for workers to stay motivated and productive they do need to be able to switch off, and a culture of presenteeism can be damaging to productivity,” says the prime minister’s deputy spokesperson. 

“It’s obviously one of the central missions of the government to support growth, and we know that productivity is vital to growth,” she said. 

It’s important to note that this policy will not be set out in law, but rather a recommendation in businesses’ codes of practice. What’s more, this doesn’t mean that fines will be imposed for every employer who contacts staff outside of working hours, but that penalties may be applied should they routinely place unreasonable demands on employees outside of their work time. According to The Times, employees who are constantly bothered outside of their allocated working hours could use this as an aggravating factor to a wider claim in employment tribunals. 

The government's proposed right has, unsurprisingly, been backed by many. A 2022 poll by The Telegraph conducted on LinkedIn found that 60% of those surveyed were in favour of introducing this right for employees to ignore work-related communications outside of working hours.

Commenting on the article in The Times, a reader said, “They want to make sure those 'emergencies' are not every day. There is a big difference between the occasional emergency and someone who thinks you are available 7/24.” Aside from these few one-offs, it seems that poor time planning is the main culprit when it comes to reaching out to staff after their working day is done. 

Of course, it goes without saying that this proposal is clouded by the practical implications, with many people rejecting the idea that it will work. This policy favours the typical Monday - Friday ‘9-5’ but will inevitably be harder to put into practice for those who work shifts, or in sectors that require employees to be on call. 

Ben Smith, senior associate at GQ Littler – a leading employment law firm – says, “The main risk for employers is going to be finding the right balance for their business and sector – there isn’t going to be a ‘one size fits all’ approach and I expect there is going to be a learning curve for employers.” Speaking for People Management, Ben Willmot, head of public policy at CIPD, notes that there still needs to be flexibility where unforeseen circumstances (such as sickness absence) require employees to be contactable outside their working hours. 

Clearly, the government still have a way to go to figure this out, with a source stating, “It has to be something that businesses and their workforce agree among themselves rather than a diktat.” But it could certainly go a long way to tackling other problems in business culture, such as wellbeing washing. 

If you’re finding it hard to switch off from work, and you’d like support in addressing your work-life balance, reach out to a coach on Life Coach Directory. They can support you in navigating sticking points in your career, or help implement strategies to manage stress and burnout. If your mental health has been affected by work-related stress, it's really important to seek help from a counsellor or therapist.