France Made It Illegal For Your Boss To Email You After Work Hours

As if it wasn’t already official that technology is dominating our lives, this bill definitely brings that fact to the forefront. France has passed a bill that states employees have “the right to disconnect” after work hours. Because it’s hard to resist the urge to check your inbox at all hours.

This bill actually makes it illegal for employers to contact their employees outside of the set work hours, which will likely greatly limit stress and definitely decrease the urge to pull up your email once you’ve left the office for the day.

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@saulomohana/Unsplash

Benoit Hamon of the French National Assembly told the BBC, “All the studies show there is far more work-related stress today than there used to be, and that the stress is constant,” he said. “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.”

And Hamon’s got a point. It can often feel that work never ends, and that’s largely because of how accessible we always are. C’est la vie. Well, not anymore. Now, you won’t be nearly as accessible to your boss (at least if you’re in France).

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@majulien/Unsplash

So, the French can finally leave their work at the office, even if only for a few hours. Wouldn’t that help you sleep better at night?

I don’t know about you, but I certainly wouldn’t mind taking advantage of a “right to disconnect” from time to time, you know just to enjoy the finer things in life. The French are on to something with this one!

[h/t: Hello Giggles]

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About the Author
Augusta Statz
I have a B.F.A. in Writing from the Savannah College of Art and Design. I’m an avid writer with a genuine sense of curiosity. I feel the best way to absorb the world around you is through fashion, art and food, so that’s what I spend most of my time writing about.

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