The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has reminded workers that their right to disconnect from work applies while on annual leave this summer.
With schools closing for the holidays this week, many working families will be taking time off work to get a break from their daily grind, The ICTU has said it is important that workers know they have a right to switch off from work while on annual leave without checking in on emails, answering text messages or joining a video call.
The Congress has stated the WRC Code of Practice on the Right to Disconnect sets out three core rights that employees can rely on:
The first is the right not to have to routinely perform work outside normal working hours, including being contacted on annual leave; the second right is to not be penalised for not attending to work matters outside normal working hours, including while on annual leave, and lastly the duty to respect other workers’ right to disconnect, by not routinely emailing or calling colleagues outside their normal working hours, including when they are on annual leave.
Dr Laura Bambrick, Social Policy Officer with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions has stated: “Nobody should feel they have to be checking emails from the beach, or joining a Zoom meeting during a family trip to the Zoo. Workers in Ireland have a legal right to annual leave which is intended to recharge their batteries, and that means you have a right to fully switch off from work, and a right not to be penalised for doing so”
Dr Laura Bambrick further stated that “An expectation to ‘check in’ erodes downtime, undermining the employee’s R&R time and ultimately their health and safety. People work hard throughout the year, and are entitled to time off uninterrupted.”
Lastly, Dr Laura Bambrick states: “That goes both ways. If you’re not on leave yourself, that means thinking twice before firing off a message to a colleague who is. A quick email might feel harmless to send, but it lands on someone else’s holiday, and it puts pressure on them to respond.”
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions is encouraging workers who feel pressured to remain available while on leave to raise the matter with their union or contact the Workplace Relations Commission.
