Nowadays, there's nothing more intrusive than a boss calling or texting you outside of works hours - especially if you're on vacation, at a family dinner, or more. However, this may all come to an end in the great state of California if a certain bill is passed.
San Diego-born politician and California State Assembly member Matt Haney is attempting to have recently introduced "Assembly Bill 2751" passed into legislature.
The proposed bill, announced in February, will require bosses to ensure that employees do not have to be in touch with them outside of their contracted working hours. These nonworking hours must be agreed upon through a written agreement between the employer and employees.
There may be some exceptions as to when the employee actually does need to respond such as in an emergency or for scheduling matters. Unless this is the case, workers in California will have every right to turn down their bosses and only get back to them the next working day, provided the bill is approved.
If implemented, bosses may be charged a penalty of $100.
California's bringing the proposed bill into full effect would make it the first U.S. state to implement measures to protect workers' rights during non-contracted hours.
While bosses trying to contact employees outside of work has been a longtime issue, it's become especially prominent during the pandemic's remote work setting. This led to employees feeling that their personal hours were being taken advantage of and meant they struggled to detach themselves from their work and home life.
A survey from the Pew Research Center last year revealed that over 50 per cent of employees in the U.S. sometimes respond to messages or work-related emails outside of their contracted working hours. Nearly 30 per cent claimed they regularly get back to their bosses during nonworking hours.
This growing issue has been addressed globally and has involved various countries bringing in laws to prevent employees from having their time invaded. In 2017, France put a law in place before the pandemic dubbed the "right to disconnect" rule.
Kenya recently became another nation that has implemented similar guidelines to protect workers. Other countries with legal measures to prevent employees from being contacted by their bosses at any time include Australia, Kazakhstan, Greece, Colombia, and Peru.
Some countries, such as Spain, Ukraine, Argentina, and Chile, have laws that primarily protect remote employees.
Haney has reiterated the need for his proposed bill to be passed as it will benefit his state in keeping the best employees. He told FOX 5: "We are in constant competition with other states like Texas and New York who are trying to woo California workers to their states."
The politician added: "(Providing) our workers the right to disconnect will be a major benefit to our workforce and makes the California tech sector better able to compete for skilled workers."
