Right to Disconnect
The principle that employees can disengage from work communications outside working hours.
The right to disconnect is the principle that employees should be able to switch off from work-related communications outside their normal working hours without disadvantage. It responds to the blurring of work and home life created by always-on digital tools and remote working.
In Ireland, a Code of Practice on the Right to Disconnect gives employees the right not to routinely work outside normal hours, the right not to be penalised for disconnecting, and a duty to respect others' right to do the same. While the code is not standalone legislation, tribunals may take it into account.
For employers, respecting the right means setting expectations about response times, discouraging out-of-hours emails, and modelling healthy behaviour from the top. Several EU countries have introduced or are considering stronger legal protections.
