Good:
Nothing can ruin a relaxing weekend or holiday like an email from the office. Even if there’s no need to take action until Monday, the unwanted intrusion of professional life can really suck the joy out of a Sunday afternoon bar-b-que. That’s why the country that’s famous for giving its employees 30 days off a year and 16 weeks of full-paid family leave, just made itself even cooler with its new “right to disconnect” law.
Now, in France, if you’re a company of 50 employees or more, you cannot email an employee after typical work hours. The amendment has come about because studies show that in the digital age it’s become increasingly difficult for people to distance themselves from the workplace during their off hours. This new law allows people to get the full advantage of their time off.
Interesting attitude. If I had a real job, I think I would appreciate this policy.
You missed the most important line in the story:
“Although there are no penalties for companies that violate the amendment…”
A law with no penalties and no one to enforce it. I’m sure that will be taken oh so seriously.
It’s France. They still have a bit of respect for good civics.
France continues to amaze me. It seems they want to find more and more ways to increase their already high unemployment rate.
Yes, I don’t like to receive emails when I’m not working. But sometimes, business requires that. If I were running a technology firm, where sometimes things go wrong and they don’t always pick normal working hours* to do so, I’d pick a country where it’s not against the law to reach out to my employees to fix the problem.
Worker protection laws sound great, until you realize the incentives they provide to not hire people or start a business in the first place. The best protection for workers is a competitive job market, and you foster that by making it attractive to do business and hire workers. France seems hell bent on doing just the opposite.
im always amazed at the way americans have programmed themselves to believe being a “productive” worker bee is as important as their employers want you to believe. meanwhile we’re sleep deprived, inactive & overweight, and stressed out.
nope, nations like france and many others in the EU and scandnavia have it right — work isnt nearly as important as the other parts of our lives. and its not healthy.
I’m not saying the US has found the right balance. But unemployment in France is high, particularly for the young and for immigrants.
Do Americans work too hard? Maybe. But too many living in France have no jobs at all.