California workers may be legally allowed to ignore messages from their bosses after the workday ends.
In recent years, the pressure to respond to work messages after hours has rapidly increased, especially as remote work during the pandemic has blurred the line between work and personal life.
According to the World Economic Forum, this has exacerbated worker burnout and forced many countries to consider “right to hang up” laws.
Democratic Rep. Matt Haney of San Francisco aims to add California to that list with a bill he introduced in February and is being considered in the state Legislature.
If passed as currently billed, Assembly Bill 2751 would require any public or private employer to “impose a workplace policy that provides employees with the right to cut off communications with the employer during non-work hours, except in specified cases.” It will be mandatory to establish a
This means, according to the bill’s language, that workers have “the right to ignore communications from their employer outside of working hours,” except in the case of emergencies or schedule adjustments.
Non-working hours will be determined by written agreement between the worker and the employer.
Under the current bill, if an employer violates the rules, it could be subject to a civil penalty of at least $100.
California would be the first state in the country to consider such a law.
But more than a dozen countries have already enacted similar laws.
According to the World Economic Forum, Kenya was the slowest.
France first enacted a “right to disconnect” law in 2017.
Haney’s office told FOX 5 that studies have shown how workers are “healthier, happier and more productive” after these laws were passed.
At the same time, Haney said the law will help the state better compete with other states for skilled workers.
“We’re constantly competing with states like Texas and New York, which are trying to attract California workers to their states,” he said.
“[Giving] The right for our workers to disconnect will greatly benefit our workforce and make California’s technology industry more competitive for skilled workers. ”
FOX Business has reached out to Haney’s office.
