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Why is the right to disconnect important for workers and companies?

Digital tools allow workers to work wherever and whenever they want, making it easier to reconcile work and private life. However, their use can also have negative effects, encouraging workers to work outside working hours, making work more intensive and blurring the boundaries between working time and leisure time. According to Eurofound, 27% of people who work from home also work in their spare time, and it is important to remember that it is not only those who work from home who face this problem. Digital tools can therefore interfere with workers' private lives if they are not used exclusively during working hours. 

Rest is essential for well-being, so being constantly connected to the workplace has health consequences. Sitting at a computer for too long and working for too long reduces concentration, causes cognitive and emotional overload and can lead to headaches, eye strain, sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression and burnout. In addition, static posture or repetitive movements can lead to musculoskeletal disorders, especially in work environments where ergonomic standards are not taken into account. This is ultimately a burden on the employer and the health budget. The significant increase in the use of digital tools for work purposes, atypical working relationships and teleworking arrangements make it imperative to give workers the right to disconnect. 

The Slovenian Law on Amendments and Additions to the Labour Relations Act, which entered into force on 15 November 2023, stipulates that employers must provide workers with a right to disconnect to ensure that the worker is not at the employer's disposal during breaks and rest periods or during justified absences from work in accordance with the law and the collective agreement or general act. To this end, the employer shall take appropriate measures.

The webinar organised by the Slovenian Focal Point is aimed at discussing how the right to disconnect is implemented in Slovenia and abroad.

Moderator:
•    Vida PETROVČIČ, Journalist

Speakers:
•    Lidija ŠUBELJ, Acting General Director (Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities)
•    Nikolaj PETRIŠIČ, MSc, Head of the Occupational Safety and Health Department (Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities)
•    Prof Dr Aleksandra KANJUO MRČELA (Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Ljubljana)
•    Prof Dr Matej TUŠAK (Faculty of Sports of the University of Ljubljana)
•    Dr Tina WEBER, Research Manager (Eurofound) 
•    ZAP FITCORP, Occupational Medicine, Traffic, and Sports 
•    Damjan MAŠERA, Head of the Department for Labour Relations and Other Forms of Work (Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities)

Organisation

Ministrstvo za delo, družino, socialne zadeve in enake možnosti

Further information

Programme and registration form

Slovenia
08/10/2024
Add to my calendar 2024-10-08 02:00:00 2024-10-08 02:00:00 Why is the right to disconnect important for workers and companies? Digital tools allow workers to work wherever and whenever they want, making it easier to reconcile work and private life. However, their use can also have negative effects, encouraging workers to work outside working hours, making work more intensive and blurring the boundaries between working time and leisure time. According to Eurofound, 27% of people who work from home also work in their spare time, and it is important to remember that it is not only those who work from home who face this problem. Digital tools can therefore interfere with workers' private lives if they are not used exclusively during working hours.  Rest is essential for well-being, so being constantly connected to the workplace has health consequences. Sitting at a computer for too long and working for too long reduces concentration, causes cognitive and emotional overload and can lead to headaches, eye strain, sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression and burnout. In addition, static posture or repetitive movements can lead to musculoskeletal disorders, especially in work environments where ergonomic standards are not taken into account. This is ultimately a burden on the employer and the health budget. The significant increase in the use of digital tools for work purposes, atypical working relationships and teleworking arrangements make it imperative to give workers the right to disconnect.  The Slovenian Law on Amendments and Additions to the Labour Relations Act, which entered into force on 15 November 2023, stipulates that employers must provide workers with a right to disconnect to ensure that the worker is not at the employer's disposal during breaks and rest periods or during justified absences from work in accordance with the law and the collective agreement or general act. To this end, the employer shall take appropriate measures. The webinar organised by the Slovenian Focal Point is aimed at discussing how the right to disconnect is implemented in Slovenia and abroad. Moderator:•    Vida PETROVČIČ, Journalist Speakers:•    Lidija ŠUBELJ, Acting General Director (Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities)•    Nikolaj PETRIŠIČ, MSc, Head of the Occupational Safety and Health Department (Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities)•    Prof Dr Aleksandra KANJUO MRČELA (Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Ljubljana)•    Prof Dr Matej TUŠAK (Faculty of Sports of the University of Ljubljana)•    Dr Tina WEBER, Research Manager (Eurofound) •    ZAP FITCORP, Occupational Medicine, Traffic, and Sports •    Damjan MAŠERA, Head of the Department for Labour Relations and Other Forms of Work (Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities) Ministrstvo za delo, družino, socialne zadeve in enake možnosti hwc@bilbomatica.es Europe/Madrid public

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