Right to disconnect for federal employees: Employment lawyer on CityNews

Interview Summary

The federal government recently announced the new budget and it contained legislation about the rights of federally regulated employees. While some provincial governments have already implemented right-to-disconnect legislation, the Canadian federal government is the latest to address the issue as more employees work remotely.

Halley Auger, an Alberta employment lawyer and Associate at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP, joined CityNews Edmonton to discuss the new legislation and its impact on employees.

Interview Notes

• Employers acknowledging employee needs: “Things like require employees to take their vacation time as opposed to taking vacation pay, so that indicates that employers are aware that employees do need a break, they do need vacation time,” Auger explained.
• Impact on employment law and the workplace: Auger does not believe the legislation will change much. “Not everybody is going to follow the policy. I would hope that employers don’t treat this as merely a box to checkmark, that they’re taking the steps to enforce it to create internal equity,” said Auger.

Related Resources

For further insights and discussions related to the right to disconnect, explore the following resources:

• Right to disconnect in Ontario