Flexible work practices are becoming more common, facilitated by advances in technology and accelerated by coronavirus pandemic. There are many benefits to flexible work, one of which is increased wellbeing. It allows people to better balance work with rest and personal interests, family, and other obligations. However, it can also lead to unplanned overtime, additional stress and burnout.
On 01st April 2021, the Irish Government introduced a new Code of Practice on Right to Disconnect. What does it mean, and how does it support overall wellbeing?
The Right to Disconnect gives employees the right to switch off from work outside their normal working hours. The purpose of the Code is to provide practical guidance and best practice to employers, employees, and representatives. There are three rights outlined:
For example, if your usual working hours are 9.00 am – 5.00 pm, and meetings are a regular part of your working day, the Right to Disconnect means the following:
The three rights might sound like common sense, but these guidelines were out in place in response to the blurring boundaries between work and home. The Code of Practice helps companies develop policies and procedures to facilitate these rights and gives employees a point of reference if they feel they are regularly asked to work outside their usual working hours.
People working from home are working an average of 22 hours unplanned overtime each month, with two-thirds feeling pressure to stay connected after normal hours. This contributes to increase stress both inside and outside of work as people try to cram more into the remaining hours of the day.
The Right to Disconnect is an opportunity for both employers and employees to address this issue. If you are working for a company in Ireland, you may see HR policies and procedures updated to reflect the three rights.
However, you will only see a positive impact on your wellbeing if you change your own working habits.
Suppose you continue to reply to emails and messages, schedule meetings and do other work outside of your usual business hours. In that case, you will not see any improvement even if your HR department and manager are doing everything they should be. If you have a habit of regularly working outside of your normal working hours, here are five things you can do to disconnect from work.
5 Steps to Disconnect from Work
If you are self-employed, you can still benefit from the right to disconnect. The main difference is that even more of the responsibility lies with you. Decide your normal working hours; being self-employed doesn’t mean being available to your customers or your to-do list 24 hours a day. By deciding in advance what hours you will usually work, you are taking the first step to putting work boundaries in place.
The introduction of the Right to Disconnect Code of Practice signals the need for change in work habits as we adjust to the long-term changes to our working environment. Take the steps within your control to look after your wellbeing and experience the benefits of flexible working.