The Right to Disconnect in Europe: What Employers Can Do Before It Becomes Law

Smartphones, messaging apps and remote work have blurred the line between working time and rest. In response, a growing number of European countries have introduced a right to disconnect: the right of workers not to be required to work or respond to work messages outside their working hours.

Where things stand in Europe

The picture is a patchwork. France was among the first to act, and countries such as Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Ireland and Slovakia now have rules of their own, taking different forms. In Italy, the law on agile working (Law 81/2017) already requires agreements on agile work to set out rest periods and the technical and organisational measures that allow the worker to disconnect, and further national discussion is reported to be under way.

At EU level, talks between employers’ groups and trade unions on telework and the right to disconnect did not produce an agreement, and the European Commission has since signalled it is pursuing its own route to reduce the risks of an “always-on” work culture. As of the sources we reviewed, no draft directive or timeline had been published. Separately, the European Parliament’s October 2026 resolution on psychosocial risks also asks for a right to disconnect in the context of algorithmic management. The rules may change, so check the situation in each country where you operate.

Why employers should care now

• Burnout and absence. Constant availability is a recognised driver of stress and exhaustion.
• Retention and attraction. People increasingly choose employers who respect their time.
• Cross-border consistency. If you run teams in several countries, a clear company-wide norm is easier than managing different legal rules case by case.
• Quality of work. Rested people make fewer mistakes and think more clearly.

Seven practical steps

1. Define working hours and response expectations. Be explicit about when people are expected to be reachable, and when not.
2. Agree team norms. Let teams decide how they will use email, chat and calls, including how to flag real emergencies.
3. Use scheduled sending. Encourage managers to write when it suits them and send when it suits the recipient.
4. Model the behaviour. If leaders reply at midnight, the team learns that midnight replies are expected. Managers’ habits set the norm more than any policy.
5. Look at workload, not only messages. Disconnecting is impossible if the work cannot be done within hours. Review staffing, deadlines and priorities.
6. Respect time zones and cultures. In cross-border teams, agree overlap hours and avoid meeting times that always burden the same location.
7. Review regularly. Ask teams what is working, and adjust.

A cultural shift, not a switch

A right on paper does not change habits by itself. People need to feel it is safe to be unreachable. That is a question of psychological safety and of manager behaviour, which is why training for leaders is often the most effective step.

Our work-life balance training covers time and energy management, boundary-setting and sustainable performance. Our well-being training adds resilience and burnout awareness for teams. Contact us for a programme tailored to your organisation.

This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Rules differ by country and change quickly, so check current national law or ask your legal adviser before you act.