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