Burnout, quiet resignations, strikes — the news (and probably your schedule) is full of signs that workers are overwhelmed and that too much is expected of them. There are few regulations in the U.S. preventing employers from forcing employees to be at their desks or on call at all times, but that may soon change. California Assemblyman Matt Haney introduced AB 2751, a “right to disconnect” bill. san francisco standard Report.
The bill is in its early stages, but if passed, every employer in California would clearly define a person’s hours and ensure they don’t need to respond to work-related communications after hours. The period during which salaried employees may need to work extended hours needs to be stipulated in the contract. Exceptions are made in emergencies.
The Labor Department will monitor compliance and fine companies at least $100 for inappropriate behavior — whether forcing employees to use Zoom, their inboxes, reply to text messages or monitor Slack without pay. “I do think that California is the state that creates a lot of these technologies but is also the state that introduces how we make them sustainable and renew our protection of the times we live in and the world we create,” Haney said. standard.
It’s unclear how much support AB 2751 has, but as a tech hub and a major economic hub, the bill has the potential to have a huge impact on California workers and force other states to follow suit. The bill follows similar legislation in other countries. In 2017, France became the first country to implement the “right to disconnect” policy, a model that has been followed by Argentina, Ireland, Mexico and Spain.
