Reading a few emails during breakfast or answering a work call in the evening: since the right to disconnect, employers can no longer expect this from their employees. This stems from the labour deal, published in the Belgian Official Gazette on November 10, 2022. Has your company already laid down the rules regarding the right to disconnect? Companies with 20 or more employees must develop a concrete arrangement by March 31, 2023 at the latest.
What is the right to disconnect?
The right to disconnect means that employees have the right to be unreachable outside working hours. Phone calls, emails or work-related messages: employers cannot demand that their employees answer them after the workday.
How do you implement the right to disconnect?
According to the labour deal, the right to disconnect can take two forms: via the work regulations, or via a company collective labour agreement (CLA) in consultation with the trade unions. Only if no CLA has been signed within your joint committee or the National Labour Council are you obliged to make concrete agreements for your company.
What should the arrangement regarding the right to disconnect provide?
As an employer, the agreements on the right to disconnect must include at least the following aspects:
- The practical provisions for employees to exercise the right to disconnect
- The guidelines for the use of digital tools so that rest time, leave, and private life are guaranteed.
- Training and awareness actions for employees and managers on the sensible use of digital tools and the risks of excessive connection
