Poll shows support for right to switch off

A new report finds widespread support for a right not to be contacted outside working hours.

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More than 50% of the public support the UK government implementing restrictions on employers contacting staff outside of working hours, with only 17% opposed, according to a a survey by think tank Autonomy.

The survey is part of a report by the think tank which seeks to flesh out how a new ‘right to switch off’, promised by Labour, might work.

Drawing on international precedents, the report outlines two options:

• A ‘Soft’ option, which would allow workers to ignore communications from their employers outside of working hours.

• A ‘Hard’ option, which would both give workers the right to ignore out of hours contact from their employers and would penalise employers who contact workers outside of working hours.

The report also includes a draft amendment to the Employment Rights Act which provides an ‘off the shelf’ policy for the Government to deploy.

Will Stronge, Director of Research at the Autonomy Institute, said: “Giving too much power to employers to dictate the terms of new ‘Right to Switch Off’ legislation could risk seeing the policy fall by the wayside. A more substantial, full right to switch off would go one step further. As is the case in France and Portugal, this legislation would not only give workers the right to ignore out of hours contact from their employers but would also punish employers for ignoring the spirit of the legislation and repeatedly contacting workers.”