New French Law Makes It Illegal To Contact Employees After Office Hours

France is one of the world’s most modern countries where human rights are carefully taken care of. From banning smartphones in school to high research and development, France is pacing up its progress to get ahead of the curve.

France new “Right to Disconnect” Law states that a company with 50 employees or more cannot contact an employee after work hours. Disconnection from work after office hours has positive mental and physical health implications and therefore it is introduced in law as unwarranted contact by the workplace.

Employees mood dips, they feel uncomfortable when they are contacted after work hours and that eventually reduces their productivity, morale at the workplace.

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

The law does not talk about penalties for companies that violate the amendment. It’s the moral responsibility of the businesses to establish “charters of good conduct” that specify the times which employees are completely free from being contacted by their workplace so they can enjoy their private lives.