What Employers Should Know About Ontario’s Right to Disconnect Law
Ontario’s Right to Disconnect Law has officially gone into effect as of June 3rd. This law was first introduced as part of the Working for Workers Act, 2021, which requires “employers with 25 or more employees to have a written policy about employees disconnecting from their job at the end of the workday to help employees spend more time with their families.”
Regardless of an employee’s work arrangement, it is important that they take time to disconnect from work outside of their normal working hours. According to the Employment Standards Act, 2000, section 21.1.1, the right to disconnect refers to “not engaging in work-related communications, including emails, telephone calls, video calls or sending or reviewing other messages, to be free from the performance of work.”
It’s no doubt that COVID-19 has changed the way we work. The new hybrid work environment has inevitably blurred the lines between working and leisure time. Burnout is on the rise, resulting in increased instances of sickness, absenteeism, presenteeism and turnover. In addition, employees have been experiencing a heightened sense of guilt when it comes to disconnecting from work. This legislation aims to change that.
Disconnecting from work is vital for the wellbeing and balance of employees. When employers prioritize this, it not only makes for a healthier team, but helps your organization achieve its objectives. After all, we achieve results through our most valuable asset: our people.
The way this legislation will be mandated and followed is still unclear. Some challenges that experts have identified include a lack of guidance around the actual contents of the policy that employers must develop, and the logistics of enforcing a policy such as this. This has left many employers in the dark.
Now that developing and implementing this policy is mandatory for most employers, many simply do not know where to start. Feel free to reach out to us for a free consultation. We’re happy to support you in the development of this policy and beyond.