UK to follow Ireland's softer right-to-disconnect model

Labour government pushing for code of practice rather than legislation unions had demanded

A law would enable people to claim compensation if their right to disconnect was violated, while the code of practice serves as guidance on how managers should behave. Picture: Jose Sarmento Matos/Bloomberg

Britain's new Labour government is watering down ambitions to give employees a legal right to ignore work demands outside office hours, favouring softer rules that had a limited impact for workers in Ireland.

Rather than seeking legislation for the “right to switch off,” ministers instead will push for a code of practice for businesses, according to people familiar with the matter. The government is modelling its approach on Belgium and Ireland, which have guidelines on out-of-hours communications, and in contrast with France and Portugal, where the right to disconnect is enshrined in law.