We live in an age of connection, where everyone is within arms reach of either a phone, computer, or tablet. But is this connection having profound effects on our ability to leave work where it lay? Some say that we never actually leave work, thanks to our devices, and it’s having profound repercussions for our families and our mental health.

We’d like to go home and relax, but we simply can’t do that when the emails and messages continue to roll in. Many people are becoming so frazzled that they perform less productively when at work. But, a new French law, known as the ‘right to disconnect’ is looking to change how employers interact with their subordinates.

The Right to Disconnect

The law, which mandates that a company with fifty or more employees cannot email an employee after typical work hours, aims to give French workers a better work like balance. If you’ve ever received an email from work on your time off, you’ll know the feeling of being pulled away when you thought you were on your free time. And this can have mental and physical health implications. That is why this type of communication will soon become illegal in France (1).

The law stipulates that companies must negotiate policies that limit the spillover of work into the private lives of their employees. There are no penalties for companies that violate the amendment, but the businesses are required to establish ‘charters of good conduct’ that specify the times which employees are completely free from being contacted by their workplace (1).

Creating distance from work

France already gives its employees 30 days off a year and 16 weeks of full-paid family leave. But according to French lawmakers, people have an increasingly difficult time distancing themselves from the workplace. And fully enjoying their time off will help them come to work more rejuvenated ready to be productive (1).

Some are concerned that the new law will interfere with the French’s ability to stay competitive in a world market, may weaken unions, and increase job insecurity. However, French citizens have viewed it favorably. And some businesses are recognizing that burnout, described as psychological and emotional distress caused by a total inability to rest, can result from never being entirely free from work (1).

An Electronic Leash

According to Benoit Hamon of the French National Assembly, “All the studies show there is far more work related stress today than there used to be, and that the stress is constant. Employees physically leave the office, but they do not leave their work. They remain attached by a kind of electronic leash- like a dog. The texts, the messages, the emails – they colonize the life of the individual to the point where he or she eventually breaks down.” (2)

Impact of Work Stress

In studies about work-life balance and stress levels, it was found that higher levels of workplace stress were associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety as well as lower levels of resiliency, job satisfaction, and healthy lifestyle beliefs (3). So the need to disconnect is real, people need to recoup and relax before they can work productively.

Additionally, in a review of twenty-seven cohort studies of men and women from Europe, the US and Japan, it was found that work stressors such as job strain and long working hours are associated with moderately elevated risk of incident coronary heart disease, stroke, and type II diabetes (4).

For more information on work-related health initiatives, check out Why a 4 Day Work Week Is Better For You.

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