- California has introduced a “Right to Disconnect” bill that would make it easier for employees not to be around after their work shift ends.
- Employee working hours will need to be expressly specified, and employees will not be expected to be available for work after these hours outside of emergencies.
- If this bill becomes law, violating these hours would result in complaints and fines.
Have you ever had a situation where you completed your shift at work but had to keep yourself available through your phone and answer emails and calls outside of your shift? You can find false solace in the fact that this is far too common, leading to conditions like burnout that don’t help anyone involved. That is why California hopes to enact a new law that will give employees a “right to disconnect” from their jobs when they are off the clock.
As CBS News reports, Assembly Bill 2751 has been introduced into the California State Legislature, broadly charting out a “right to disconnect” for employees. Once it gets approved into law, this bill will eliminate the consequences of not answering an employer’s calls after shift hours. Public and private employers will need to create workplace policies allowing employees to ignore the employer during their off time.