As summer holidays approach, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) reminds workers that they have the right to “fully switch off from work, and a right not to be penalised for doing so”.
Laura Bambrick, ICTU social policy officer said that “nobody should feel they have to be checking emails from the beach, or joining a Zoom meeting during a family trip to the zoo,” according to the Irish Times.
"An expectation to 'check in' erodes everyone's downtime, undermining the employee’s R&R time and ultimately their health and safety. That goes both ways. If you're not on leave yourself, that means thinking twice before firing off a message to a colleague who is," she continued.
"A quick email might feel harmless to send, but it lands on someone else's holiday, and it puts pressure on them to respond," Bambrick continued.
The Workplace Relations Committee acknowledged some elements of a right to disconnect in its code of practice in 2021.
This code of practice acknowledges the right to not work outside of your normal working hours, which also includes being contacted during annual leave.
It also means that workers may not be penalised for refusing to attend to work matters outside normal working hours.
