Between words and real life, there is sometimes a gap, especially when we talk about work. The right to disconnection aims at protecting the workers and their private life from any potential link with work when they are actually not working. In practice, this right is not always respected still.
What is the right to disconnection? It is a right that enables the articulation between the private and professional life of employees. The purpose is to enforce regulation systems so as to control the use of numeric tools like email, smartphone and computer when the worker is off (holidays, weekend…). The ultimate goal consists in ensuring respect of rest time for the employees, as well as respect of their private/family life.
Concretely, your boss cannot call you when you are on holidays with your family to talk about a pending project. Your boss cannot send you emails as well when you are enjoying your weekend and, most importantly, he/she cannot compel you to answer. You spend most of your time at work, and your rest time should really be a rest time. The problem is, the right to disconnection is not always respected in real life. Receiving an email or a call when being off has already happened, and some employees cannot prevent themselves from answering for fear of retaliation or being blamed when they get back to work.
Sometimes, the worker himself/herself will switch on his/her professional smartphone to take a look at the emails received. It does not always come from their hierarchy. Some workers cannot completely forget about work when in holidays and will constantly answer emails or handle tasks from time to time. When alone, it only affects you, but think of your family when you do that. Work should stay at work, and not at the beach.
Guillaume Mahot