Employment lawyer on work-life balance and the right to disconnect

Interview Summary

The Ontario government has announced that it has planned to introduce legislation that limits employers’ ability to communicate with employees outside of regular work hours. If implemented correctly, the right to disconnect could provide employees with more of a work-life balance. What will this legislation mean for the workplace/

Alex Lucifero, an Ottawa employment lawyer and Partner at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP joins CTV Your Morning to discuss the legislation and employee rights going forward.

Interview Notes

How will this new legislation help employees?

If implemented this legislation could help employees who have been working from home due to the pandemic that has had a blurring of lines in terms of work and home life. Employees will now have more actual time away and a break from work during their off-hours.

How does the right to disconnect law work in other countries?

Many countries have the right to disconnect laws in place and in some European countries, there is more of a balance of power between employers and employees as a result. This law could help employees feel they do have more power in workplaces across Canada and might be less intimidated by their employers.

Will other provinces in Canada implement the right to disconnect legislation?

There are no such laws in Canada at the moment concerning the right to disconnect, Ontario will be the first province to do so. It is important to note that the legislation should be closely looked at in order to determine the finer details.

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Right to disconnect rules for employees

How will the right to disconnect legislation be implemented in workplaces?

Enforcement of the right to disconnect policies is yet to be clarified by the Ontario government. Small businesses with less than 25 employees are also exempted from the new legislation and other industries could also be exempt.