New law in France allows workers to ignore emails after office hours

In view of the new law, workers in France can now enjoy their time away from the office in peace. Image: INQUIRER.net stock photo

Several countries have already taken notice of how after-office hours email have been affecting work-life balance. To this effect, France has recently enacted a law that makes it legal for workers to ignore work-related email outside the office.

The new law, which took effect last January 1, obliges companies that have a workforce of over 50 people to negotiate terms regarding the sending of after-hours work emails, as well as to define the workers’ rights in ignoring them, reports The Next Web.

Psychologists have already warned of the so-called ‘always-on’ work culture and the harm it brings to an individual’s emotional well-being. France’s new employment law effectively gives employees the ‘right to disconnect’ and focus on enriching their personal lives.

The law was two years in the making. In 2014, employees working in the digital and consultancy sectors were advised that emails sent after 6PM would only be allowed “under exceptional circumstances.”

Volkswagen also put into effect a similar practice in 2011, when they agreed to deactivate their workers’ BlackBerry emails after work hours. Alfred Bayle