French workers will have the right to disconnect and enjoy their free time. This after a labor law goes into effect today, which requires companies with more than 50 employees to establish hours when emails will be sent and stop sending them. The purpose of this law is protect the free time of workers and avoid overwork.
French legislator Benoit Hamon described the law to the BBC as an answer to the travails of employees who leave the office but do not actually stop working, thus, they remain attached by a kind of electronic leash-like a dog.
This law was the most supported measure of a comprehensive labor package passed in May. The goal of that package is liberalize France's job market.
These email restrictions in France will make employees feel more relaxed and effective, academic studies have found that workplace email is an important source of stress. It is estimated that workplace stress adds between $125 and $190 billion dollars to America's healthcare costs every year. Overwork is responsible of $48 billion of those costs.
The French government has quoted a recent study which shows just over one-third of professionals keep using their phones and work computers after office hours.
This is not good for workers because it causes stress and invades the privacy of people. The new law goes hand in hand with the changing times, times of technology and innovation that create special situations.
Last year, the French government introduced many reforms to revitalize the economy but some workers disliked them. These changes have caused strikes.
France's 35-hour work week has been seen as a rigid law by some companies, thus, there are some exceptions. Many multinationals dislike the business regulations that exist in France. Anyway, the French economy is growing a little lately.
