On Tuesday 23 June, MEPs from the European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) held an initial exchange of views on the need to take action at the European level in order to provide a more effective framework for telework and to safeguard the mental and physical health of workers, in the presence of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) and the European Commission.
In September, the committee is expected to adopt, for the first time, an own-initiative report by Maltese Social Democrat Alex Agius Saliba. During the discussions, the latter clearly announced his position: there must be a general right to disconnection at the European level that clarifies and strengthens the right of workers to disconnect from a “work-related device and not respond to a request without facing adverse consequences”.
In his view, a European framework would also raise awareness of the problem of “permanent ON mode”. MEPs Kim van Sparrentak (Greens/EFA, Netherlands), José Gusmão (GUE/NGL, Portugal), and Helmut Geuking (ECR, Germany), also supported European action. Mrs van Sparrentak wondered whether a framework for protecting leisure time could be considered. On the other hand, Sara Skyttedal (EPP, Sweden) questioned the relevance of a single measure.
Stefan Olsson, Director-General of the Commission’s Employment Services, pointed out that the framework for working time and rest periods had already been provided in the Working Time Directive. According to the senior European official, it is important to implement the existing provisions, while always taking into account the opinion of the social partners “at all levels”. It would be very difficult, he added, at the European level, to grasp all the complexity of the subject, which is, in essence, “close to the organisation”.
Barbara Gerstenberger, head of the Professional Life Unit at Eurofound, made the same observation when she presented the European agency’s studies on the subject. Based on the experience of the only Member States - Belgium, Spain, France, Italy - that have a legislative framework on telework, the expert indicated that there is a need for a general framework that is subject to negotiation between social partners, either at the sectoral or the company level.
According to Gerstenberger, 37% of Europeans started teleworking as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Normally, 19% of Europeans telework. While this rate is expected to fall as health measures are eased, it is expected to remain significantly higher than before, she predicted.
Teleworking is a cause for concern. According to the expert, it can indeed “lead to an always on culture which can be characterised by long working hours, insufficient rest, work family conflict, and a high level of work intensity, which leads to stress, anxiety and burnout”.
To consult the Eurofound report: https://bit.ly/2AU5Dwp (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)