Slovenia, as one of the first European countries, passed an amendment to the Employment Relationships Act (ZDR-1D) in November last year, introducing the right to disconnect. This legally enshrined right gives workers the ability to prevent their employers from infringing on their free time during daily or weekly rest periods, while on annual leave, or during other legitimate absences from work. Employers are required to implement appropriate measures to ensure this right by November 16, 2024, or they may face financial penalties.
I fully support the right to disconnect, as it’s high time that more attention is given to the mental and physical health of employees.
Why is the right to disconnect important?
- Preventing burnout: Increasing numbers of employees report experiencing burnout, a state of physical and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged exposure to stress. According to a study conducted by the International Labour Organization (ILO), one in three workers in Europe has experienced symptoms of burnout.
- Consequences on physical, emotional, and mental levels: Burnout leads to a range of negative outcomes. Physiologically, it is often linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, digestive issues, and a weakened immune system. Emotionally, it can result in detachment and difficulties in personal relationships, while mentally, it reduces focus and increases the likelihood of errors.
- Financial impact on companies: Burnout presents a significant financial burden to the European economy and businesses. EU-OSHA estimates that work-related stress costs the EU up to €617 billion annually, including costs due to absenteeism, presenteeism, lower productivity, and healthcare expenses. Presenteeism costs in Europe exceed absenteeism costs by more than 50%, as employees who are physically present but emotionally and mentally drained significantly reduce efficiency.
What concerns me?
Despite clear legislation, there is a risk that some employers may implement the right to disconnect only superficially, without changing underlying behavioral patterns. Instead of taking meaningful steps to improve the work environment, companies may merely record measures on paper while continuing to implicitly or explicitly expect constant availability from employees.
It is crucial that, in addition to formal measures, work habits and company culture also shift to promote respect for rest and recovery time. Both employees and employers must recognize that establishing a healthy work culture, which encourages disconnection and rest, is the responsibility of both parties.
The Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs, and Equal Opportunities highlights several good practices from companies that have successfully implemented the right to disconnect. In 2011, Volkswagen introduced a policy whereby email servers are switched off 30 minutes after the end of a shift and are restarted 30 minutes before the start of the next shift. Daimler implemented the unique “Mail on Holiday” feature, which allows employees to set an automatic out-of-office response that deletes incoming emails and informs the sender of the deletion. If the matter is urgent, the sender is provided with alternative contacts.
Despite these positive examples, we must recognize that declarations alone are not enough. It is also necessary to understand the psychological factors behind why employees, despite having the right to disconnect, do not disconnect outside working hours or while on vacation. By understanding the psychological mechanisms behind this, we can design measures that will actually work.
The psychological aspect – perception of personal value in relation to work
We often associate our sense of self-worth with work performance – the amount, speed, or complexity of the tasks we accomplish. When we’re not working, we may feel guilty, leading to constant checking of work emails or responding quickly to messages.
The concept of drivers from Transactional Analysis can help us understand what’s happening in the background of these feelings and how both employers and employees have a responsibility to learn how to set and maintain boundaries.
Understanding drivers
Drivers are beliefs and behavior patterns that develop in childhood and significantly influence our decisions and actions as adults. We all have certain beliefs that shape how we manage ourselves and our time.
There are seven core drivers that can limit our ability to disconnect:
- Be Perfect: People often link their self-worth to how perfectly and flawlessly they perform tasks. Maintaining high standards forces them to constantly engage with work, making it difficult to disconnect.
- Work Hard: Those with this driver tie their value to their work performance – they believe they are important and worthy only if they work hard all the time. Rest may even make them feel guilty, and they fear others will see them as lazy or inefficient, making it hard for them to switch off.
- Be Strong: These individuals believe they must always be strong and independent. The feeling that they must be a “rock” for others leads them to neglect their own needs. They connect their worth to the ability to handle challenges without help, making it difficult to take time for recovery.
- Please Others: Those who strive to please others often feel that their value depends on others’ satisfaction. The fear of rejection or disappointment drives them to ignore their own needs and avoid disconnecting, as they worry about letting others down.
- Hurry Up: People focused on speed and efficiency often associate their value with their ability to complete tasks quickly. The constant feeling of needing to be “in action” prevents them from taking time to disconnect, as they see it as a waste of time.
- Please Me: These individuals value their self-worth based on whether their wishes and demands are being met. Although they may appear to achieve their goals successfully, they often neglect the needs of others, leading to strained relationships. Their desire for control makes it difficult for them to relax and disconnect from work, as they constantly check to ensure things are going according to their expectations.
- Try Again: Those with this driver value creativity and continuous improvement. Routine suffocates them, so they often start too many projects at once without completing them. Constantly seeking new challenges and improvements makes it difficult for them to disconnect, as they always feel there is something more to be done.
These connections between drivers and the sense of self-worth can seriously impact individuals’ ability to disconnect and take necessary rest, leading to prolonged stress and potential mental and physical health problems. You can study more about drivers here.
Guidelines for moving forward
- Raising employee awareness: It is essential for employers to raise awareness among employees about limiting beliefs that prevent them from allowing themselves to disconnect. This is the responsibility of both employers and employees.
- Leading by example: Leaders must also set an example and consistently respect the right to disconnect. Employees often model their behavior after their leaders, making their role crucial in implementing change.
- Long-term benefits for companies: A company that cares for the vitality and well-being of its employees will be more successful in the long term. Investing in preventive measures and supporting both leadership and employees to regularly disconnect and regenerate is more beneficial.
Conclusion
The introduction of the right to disconnect is an important step towards improving the health and well-being of employees. However, companies must understand the background of this right and commit to actively promoting it. By doing so, they will not only reduce the risk of burnout but also enhance productivity and employee satisfaction.
If you would like your company to take a comprehensive and in-depth approach to this topic, feel free to contact me for support and advice.
For an in-depth study of drivers, follow this link.