CLASS ASSIGNMENT

ON
Right To Disconnect
SUBJECT:
Organizational Behaviour II

Submitted to: Submitted by:

Dr. Roshni James Rahul Sharma
Batch 27 C
Roll No - 27115

Submission Date
21-11-2021
 Right to disconnect
Finally, after a week-long journey of deadlines, targets, and managing the problems around the
workplace, now Marry has the much-needed weekend. What should I do, let's go to a movie, or just
have that quality sleep that I have been craving all week or should I go to my grandparents, it’s been
so long? The phone vibrates, It is a mail asking for a very urgent closure on a deal which will give a
lot of credit to the department that she is part of. Ok, so I have to send some emails and make some
calls which would take how much? 2 hours okay!! After completing her work as she was proceeding
with her much-awaited series to watch, her phone rings again. Where is the file about the Khurana
dealer’s inventory? ‘Says a collogue. Another half an hour call for navigating the file within the
office. Okay, It's just 5 pm I still have half of Sunday left, let me make the best out of it. As Marry
was in the theatre watching the play “Salience is Gold’, her phone rings again and who is it? The
office again, her friend Sheetal says why don’t you disconnect and switch off your phone? We are not
allowed to ‘says Marry’.
Such regular weekends left Marry exhausted and stressed, Ultimately, she saw no option but to leave
the company.

What is right to disconnect?

Lately, echoes of the same resonated again
when EU lawmakers passed a resolution arguing
that individuals have a fundamental right to
disconnect. The right to disconnect upholds the
liberty of people to disconnect from work and
work-related communications (e-mails,
messages, etc.) after normal working hours. It
endorses the fact that workers should be allowed
to be offline without apprehensions of employer
retribution.
Where and when?
The “work from home” culture majorly brought
by the pandemic seems to stay post covid too.
With many of its benefits such as Flexible work
hours, time-saving, cost-saving, etc. Work from
home has magnified an existing problem even
more, ‘No Disconnect’. The flexible working
hours saw like a treat for the world but with
time, it started showing various negative effects
which will be addressed further.
In order to cope up with these issues, the idea of
“Right to Disconnect” was given birth. Several
countries in Europe already have some form of
right to disconnect. France became a trendsetter
when it introduced the “El Khomri” law,
employees’ obligation to communicate beyond
office hours. In Spain and Germany, companies
are adopting disconnect policies. Lawmakers in
the UK to have mooted the idea of giving
employees the right to disconnect. The demand
is picking up steam in the US as well. In 2018,
the Right to Disconnect Bill was introduced by
Supriya Sule, MP from NCP, in the Lok Sabha.
The Bill proposed that no disciplinary action can
be taken if an employee does not respond to
work-related calls after working hours. The Bill
could not be passed as it was a private member’s
bill, and no such bill has become an Act in India
since 1970.
Why is Important?
Anxiety Disorder: In many surveys, it has been
found that people having a high imbalance in
work life and personal life tend to suffer from
anxiety-related disorders more frequently in
comparison to those who have better life
balance. Heart-related problems, Loss of
appetite and obesity are major health issues
found among people because of long working
hours as they sit continuously for long 8-10 hrs
per day. Anxiety disorders are among one of the
proposed by the then labor minister Myriam El most prevalent mental, emotional and
Khomri, in support of the right to disconnect. behavioral problems in the world, estimated to
Italy has incorporated a similar right regarding affect 3.6% of the global population as of 2015
or about 264 million people, according to WHO is meant for anything but work after office
figures. hours.
So, it's only a home where a person can relax
and can get some time free from work-related Lack in Performance: People can only perform
stress, and if in that time he/she gets work- best when there is a proper balance between
related calls, messages or emails, he is bound to work and private life. Until and unless there is
get disturbed. Sometimes to such an extent that high work pressure, they are not capable of
the person starts distancing himself from performing to their best capability. It has been
socializing very often. found that people who disconnect work after
office hours and spend good time relishing with
Weakening Social relations: Relations can be friends and family or enjoying a sport of their
built only through communication and spending choice, actually performed better than those who
time with people around you. And when one is put in extra hours to work and stayed connected
not able to give much-needed time to family and even while at home. If any country needs a
close ones, the relationship starts weakening. better workforce, then there is a need to give
Today work pressure is so high that people workers the much-needed "Right to Disconnect"
rarely have time to socialize with others. Taking from work after office hours.
them for granted when one is too engrossed in
work activities even when at home creates
disturbances in relations. According to a survey,
it is found that 90% of divorce and separation
cases arise in families where people have less
time to spend with each other without being
disturbed.

No Down Time: Every one of us at some point

need relaxation from work life. One is not
supposed to work continuously without a break.
There is always a need for entertainment and How Viable it is to actually implement
fun in life to rejuvenate. How one can relax it?
when the boss is constantly reminding you of It will be a huge challenge to implement it.
the pending work or a presentation the next day.Much existing organization states that they have
To be able to enjoy and find relief one needs a a strict deadline of 6 pm and do not contact
free mind which isn't possible nowadays due to employees across the sector unless there is an
work pressure. emergency. Although some concerns include
that if this is made a law, any mishaps at the
Too much screen time: After spending the plant cannot be addressed immediately since the
entire day brooding at the computer screen, one concerned person can say that this is beyond
needs some no-technology time. Due to constant their work hours. It is a reality in India that there
staring at computer and mobile screens, eye is a backlog of work in most companies, due to
drying and itching are some common problems which disconnecting cannot be possible. Even
faced by people, not to mention the bigger though it is a reality that employees carry work
issues we hear about every other day on the home, nobody is penalized for not answering
drawbacks of overusing technology. People can calls or emails. considering a lot of Indian IT
for once ignore other attractions that their firms work with global companies where there
alluring smartphones offer but once it comes
 down to work, there is no denying attention. is a time difference, completely switching off is
They actually get our undivided attention which not practical.

Conclusion
There is no doubt that this law is a great thing for employees but it carries various unasked
implications which can be felt like a mammoth of a task to be implemented in various different
sectors in India. Regardless of its model being implemented around the globe with some changes
according to our demographics, it does provide with a healthy working ecosystem.