Right to Disconnect Alberta | Understanding Employee Rights After Hours

In Alberta, many employees find themselves answering work emails or phone calls long after their shift ends. With smartphones and remote work blurring the lines between professional and personal life, the question comes up often:
Do I have the right to disconnect from work after hours?

While there’s currently no Right to Disconnect law in Alberta, there are still important rules under the Employment Standards Code that protect your time and pay.

What Is the “Right to Disconnect”?

The Right to Disconnect is the idea that employees should have the ability to unplug from work outside of normal hours — without pressure or penalty from their employer.

It’s meant to protect mental health, reduce burnout, and promote a better work-life balance in an increasingly connected world.

Ontario is currently the only province in Canada with a formal Right to Disconnect law, which requires larger employers to have a written policy explaining when staff are expected — or not expected — to engage in work-related communications.

Does Alberta Have a Right to Disconnect Law?

No.
Alberta does not have a Right to Disconnect law, and employers are not legally required to create a written policy on after-hours communication.

That means there’s no specific rule stopping an employer from emailing or calling you after work — but there are limits to how much they can expect you to work without additional pay.

Alberta’s Existing Protections Under the Employment Standards Code

Even without a “disconnecting from work” policy, the Employment Standards Code already provides some boundaries:

• Maximum hours of work: Most employees can’t work more than 12 hours a day unless an emergency or specific exemption applies.
• Rest periods: Employees are entitled to at least 30 mintues of restwithin every 5 consecutive hours of work.
• Overtime pay in Alberta: Most employees must receive 1.5 times their regular wage for any work done beyond 8 hours per day or 44 hours per week.
• Days off: Employees must get at least one day of rest each week.

So if your employer expects you to respond to emails or phone calls after hours, that extra time may count as paid work under Alberta law.

Are You Required to Answer Work Calls or Emails After Hours?

It depends on your employment contract in Alberta and your job classification.

• Salaried managers and professionals are often exempt from overtime, but expectations still need to be reasonable.
• Hourly employees should be paid for all time worked, including checking messages or performing duties outside regular hours.
• If you’re “on call“, Alberta law has specific rules about how that time is treated for pay purposes.

Could Alberta Adopt a Right to Disconnect Law?

Possibly.
The federal government and some provinces have begun studying Ontario’s model under the Working for Workers Act, 2021.

If Alberta were to follow suit, a Right to Disconnect Alberta law could:

• Require large employers to create written “disconnecting from work” policies
• Limit after-hours communication expectations
• Promote mental health and work-life balance
• Align with international trends seen in France and Ireland

For now, Alberta’s employment protections rely on hours of work and overtime rules, not explicit “disconnect” rights.

How Alberta Employees Can Protect Their Time

Even without a formal law, there are practical steps to set boundaries and protect your rights:

• Clarify expectations about availability with your employer.
• Track your hours, including time spent responding to messages at home.
• Ask for written agreements or policy updates if after-hours work becomes routine.
• Speak with an employment lawyer if you’re expected to be “always on” or aren’t compensated for extra hours.

Key Takeaways: Right to Disconnect in Alberta

• Alberta does not yet have a Right to Disconnect law.
• Employers can contact employees after hours — but unpaid work time may violate employment standards.
• Employees are still protected by overtime and rest period laws under the Employment Standards Code.
• Future legislation could bring Alberta closer to Ontario’s approach.

Speak to an Alberta Employment Lawyer About After-Hours Work

If your employer expects you to stay connected after hours or refuses to pay for overtime, it’s time to get legal advice. If you are terminated without cause for striving for work-life balance, you are owed severance pay in Alberta — up to 24 months’ compensation.

The Calgary employment lawyers at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP help non-unionized employees across Alberta understand their rights and recover fair compensation.

Our team has:

• 👥 Helped 50,000+ Canadians
• 💰 Secured millions in severance payouts
• ⚖️ Settled over 99% of cases out of court
• 📱 Free Termination Consultations — in some, but not all, cases
• ⭐ Earned 3,000+ 5-star Google reviews
• 🏆 Named on of Canada’s Best Law Firms

Call 1-855-821-5900 or request a consultation online.