On Friday 25 July and until 6 October, the Commission launched the second phase of consultation of social partners on the right to disconnect, with a view to presenting a potentially legislative initiative to regulate telework and respond to the various challenges posed, such as health at work and respect for working time.
The first phase took place between 30 April and 25 June 2024, after the social partners failed to autonomously reach agreement on teleworking and disconnection (see EUROPE 13301/6).
Although teleworking seems to be on the decline since the end of the pandemic, workers’ unions and employers’ representatives will have to adopt positions on the challenges related to the emergence of an “always-on” work culture and its drivers.
“The digitalisation of the world of work, technological advances, the COVID-19 pandemic and, in some cases, a further increase in the prevalence of telework, have led to instances of extended availability and longer working hours for workers in teleworkable jobs. This contributed to the emergence of an ‘always-on’ work culture which may have an impact on people’s mental health”, explains the Commission.
Other points in question include compliance with the European Working Time Directive, health and mental health risks, the protection of rights and telework equipment.
In the first phase (see EUROPE 13402/20), the responses from social partners showed “a clear divide in the position of trade unions and employers’ organisations with regard to the need for EU action. Trade unions, in general, agree that there is a need for an initiative at EU level, calling for binding legislative action”.
BusinessEurope and SGI Europe, echoed by a number of sectoral employers’ representatives, “are of the opinion that there is no clear evidence for the need for EU action”, with the exception of cross-border telework, due to complex, challenging and time-consuming foreign regulations.
Several employers’ organisations also pointed out that a right to disconnect already exists in the Working Time Directive, and focusing on “further enforcement will result in overregulation and administrative burden”.
Link to the consultation: https://aeur.eu/f/i08 (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)