![France now has "right to disconnect" legislation.](/web/20170126125300im_/http://www.canberratimes.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/k/o/v/m/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gtyaim.png/1485317063910.jpg)
Does the "ping" of an email alert on your phone continue to dominate your life long after you've left the office?
Do you find yourself consumed by the need to urgently return a work call while your kids are trying to get your attention?
![Answering work emails after work.](/web/20170126125300im_/http://www.canberratimes.com.au/content/dam/images/1/1/9/p/5/l/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gtyaim.png/1485317063910.jpg)
Well, join the club.
According to my research which gauged the opinions of more than 1000 workers, 2016 saw almost half of employees agreeing that technology brings with it the feeling of being "always on" and makes it difficult to completely shut-off from work.
![Time to disconnect.](/web/20170126125300im_/http://www.canberratimes.com.au/content/dam/images/g/h/y/u/r/y/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.gtyaim.png/1485317063910.jpg)
The irony is that much of this technology-related stress is enabled by smartphones, which effectively extends the office right into your hand and into your personal life, however smartphones have also provided some workers with the opportunity to work from home and spend more time with their families
Although most workers make exceptions to answer after work phone calls and emails for urgent matters, most of us fall into the habit of making exception after exception, which can have a devastating impact on our health, our relationships and our quality of life. This is why overseas jurisdictions are finally acting, and Australia should, too.
France has tackled the problem by giving workers the "right to disconnect", allowing employees to disconnect from email, smartphones and other devices once they knock off for the day.
Legislation came into effect on January 1, requiring companies with 50 or more employees to negotiate new out-of-office email guidelines with staff. Firms now have a duty to regulate the use of emails to ensure employees get a break from the office. If management and staff cannot agree on new rules, the firm must publish a charter to define and regulate when employees should be able to switch off.
This measure gives workers a defined home life. It takes into consideration those workers who are parents of young children or carers of elderly parents and need to be able to juggle these important responsibilities.
Many out-of-work communications can be non-urgent such as reminders of meetings but often they can turn the work switch "on" overnight or even over the weekend.
In other jurisdictions, some corporate employers have taken a harder line with out-of-work communications, recognising the need for employees to disconnect to enjoy a healthy work-life balance.
Volkswagen has been at the forefront, with the introduction of an agreement in 2012 that stopped its servers sending emails to some of its German employees when they were off-shift.
Under the arrangement servers stop sending emails 30 minutes after the end of employees' shifts, and then start again 30 minutes before they return to work, giving workers who like to check in to their work email on the commute to and from work.
The system does make some exceptions though, staff can still use their devices to make calls and the rule does not apply to senior management, as flexibility is an important feature of making arrangements work over the long term.
This is the kind of forward-thinking approach Australian employers need to be adopting and Australia's policy-makers, employer bodies and unions should be considering. Australia thrives at novel problem-solving and innovation, however first there needs to be acknowledgement of a problem.
Fundamentally, while technology has undoubtedly increased productivity and connectedness, it is also having a troubling impact on work patterns and the ability of workers to switch off from their job.
And legislative/internal workplace policies are a key step to address it, to ensure there is a culture shift in workplaces which doesn't consciously or unconsciously punish or shame workers for logging off outside of work. Instead workers must be encouraged and supported to disconnect rather than feel that there is an underlying expectation to be constantly available.
Employers play a critical role in activating this difficult cultural change, by making their expectations explicit to their employees and recognising that having a stressed and tired workforce does not benefit them in the long run.
The sooner we move away from the old-fashioned idea that you work until you drop, the better. Those companies in Australia that have made this transition are reaping the rewards of a well-rested, energised and productive workforce.
And I call on the rest, to lift our workforce – in both wellbeing and productivity – by making this transition and begin 2017 having learnt this very important French lesson.
Dr Lindsay McMillan is the lead researcher at global HR think-tank, Reventure.