Is there substance behind the right to disconnect policy in Ontario?

Interview Summary

Many employees have experienced increasing burnout due to being connected to the workplace throughout the pandemic. As a result of recent legislation, employers across the province now face having to implement a right to disconnect policy in the workplace. What will this mean for employees hoping for better work and life balance?

Lior Samfiru, a Toronto employment lawyer and national co-managing Partner at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP joins Patricia Boal on 580 CFRA’s Ottawa at Work to discuss employee rights and employer obligations in regard to the disconnect policy.

Interview Notes

• Defining the right to disconnect in Ontario: The law dictates that all employers with more than 25 employees must have a right to disconnect policy in respect to disconnecting from work. There are no requirements for what the policy itself must contain.
• New challenges facing employees who want to disconnect: As many employees are now working from home since the pandemic began or have shifted to a hybrid work model, it has become much more difficult to disconnect from work. Technology has enabled individuals to be on call or communicate with their employers throughout the day, despite work hours. Employers are able to provide staff with more vacation time and time away from the office.
• Rise in employees taking mental health and medical leave: There seem to be more reports of employees experiencing burnout and workplace stress as a result of the past several years. Many individuals have had to take extended leave in order to cope with the support of their doctors.