California could become the first state in the US where workers can get the court on their side when they ignore messages or calls from their boss.
Tuesday 2 April at 04:11
The bill, Assembly Bill 2751, has been proposed by Democrat Matt Haney. It should clearly ensure that workers in California should have the “right to disconnect” from work, and not have to respond to any inquiry outside of working hours.
– Working life has changed drastically in the last ten years. Smartphones have blurred the boundaries between work life and family life, says Haney in a statement.
– Workers should not be penalized for not being available 24/7 if they are not paid for working 24/7.
Some exceptions are included in the bill.
– The bill is designed to work for all companies and other employers in California, including sectors that require you to be ready to work on short notice, or extended working hours.
13 countries, including France and Australia, have a similar law. France was first out in 2017.
The California Chamber of Commerce is critical of such a law, calling it, according to The Mercury News, a law that proposes “one size fits all” and that it would conflict with other laws.
– There are jobs where the compensation is higher because people in these jobs are expected to be more available at “unusual” times, says Ashley Hoffman in the chamber of commerce.
Tags: California ignore boss law
