Right to avoid checking work email out of work hours..
Discussion
I keep hearing that the EU working time directive may "force" UK companies to tackle electronic presenteeism at some point, looks like the French have already started (35 hour working week would be quite nice 
).
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/dec/31/fren...
).https://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/dec/31/fren...
I am self employed. I was checking emails and responding to them at 9pm last night......And texts...
ETA - however if you are employed I do think you should be quite entitled to leave work and "leave work" if that is your wish. No doubt many will continue to read their emails etc in any event because of the "need" to be seen to be the "best" worker etc.
ETA - however if you are employed I do think you should be quite entitled to leave work and "leave work" if that is your wish. No doubt many will continue to read their emails etc in any event because of the "need" to be seen to be the "best" worker etc.
It's up to the individual for how long, when and where they want to stay connected. I reduced my hours of connectivity 2 years ago and have to say it's liberating although I don't want some bureaucrats who wouldn't know the meaning of the words work or responsibility dictating whether I'm allowed to or not.
Butter Face said:
I enjoy being able to get emails and access my work systems remotely and out of work hours, I get stuff done when I'm at hone watching TV/rhe baby is napping/waiting outside a shop while my wife spends money & while posting on PH. Means less to do and less stress when I'm actually in work!
EFA ... 
Butter Face said:
I enjoy being able to get emails and access my work systems remotely and out of work hours, I get stuff done when I'm at hone watching TV/rhe baby is napping/waiting outside a shop while my wife spends money. Means less to do and less stress when I'm actually in work!
Me too.It doesn't matter what the law says, there will always be the tacit implication that you won't get on if you don't hand the company your ass on a plate. Of course, you won't get on anyway - Only people who are liked by the right people do that and my previous experience in a corporate organisation suggests this bears no relation to how hard you work. That said, I'm responsive as long as I'm awake, but being self employed it's me that feels the benefit, so it's worth it.
When I stopped working for my own business and went to work for someone else I took the opportunity to completely disconnect my work email from my private life.
Bliss.
Because I now need to be on-call a couple of nights a week and the way incidents arrive is via email I have had to reconnect - but the discipline is now there. Unless I am on call work email can wait until the morning.
I can understand how in some firms bad corporate culture could lead to ridiculous pressures being put onto staff to respond at all hours. So the legislation may have a good effect. Germany already has it, now France. I doubt the UK will bother...
If the firm gives you a smartphone you can always leave it in a drawer, or turn it off.
Bliss.
Because I now need to be on-call a couple of nights a week and the way incidents arrive is via email I have had to reconnect - but the discipline is now there. Unless I am on call work email can wait until the morning.
I can understand how in some firms bad corporate culture could lead to ridiculous pressures being put onto staff to respond at all hours. So the legislation may have a good effect. Germany already has it, now France. I doubt the UK will bother...
If the firm gives you a smartphone you can always leave it in a drawer, or turn it off.
Don said:
When I stopped working for my own business and went to work for someone else I took the opportunity to completely disconnect my work email from my private life.
Bliss.
Because I now need to be on-call a couple of nights a week and the way incidents arrive is via email I have had to reconnect - but the discipline is now there. Unless I am on call work email can wait until the morning.
I can understand how in some firms bad corporate culture could lead to ridiculous pressures being put onto staff to respond at all hours. So the legislation may have a good effect. Germany already has it, now France. I doubt the UK will bother...
If the firm gives you a smartphone you can always leave it in a drawer, or turn it off.
Same here.Bliss.
Because I now need to be on-call a couple of nights a week and the way incidents arrive is via email I have had to reconnect - but the discipline is now there. Unless I am on call work email can wait until the morning.
I can understand how in some firms bad corporate culture could lead to ridiculous pressures being put onto staff to respond at all hours. So the legislation may have a good effect. Germany already has it, now France. I doubt the UK will bother...
If the firm gives you a smartphone you can always leave it in a drawer, or turn it off.
If something critical occurs, they can ring or text me, and I can log into work email remotely if necessary. It has happened maybe twice in 6 years.
As I work from home I often work non office hours, so I may well send emails late at night. But I never expect people to reply to them until the next day. It's just that since I've written them I may as well send them. Sometimes I even put "I'm not expecting a response right now" to stop people replying. SO it's my choice to work at odd times but I dont expect others to do the same.
^ write them but don't hit send until working hours.
I used to do this and even though you tell people you don't expect a response, just the fact that you're sending it and showing you're working (or thinking about work) gives the impression that you think they should be doing the same.
I used to do this and even though you tell people you don't expect a response, just the fact that you're sending it and showing you're working (or thinking about work) gives the impression that you think they should be doing the same.
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