Workers from home twice as likely to exceed scheduled hours

Eurofound said legitimate questions arise as to whether existing legislation to combat the problem is worth it.

Working from home means employees are twice as likely as those onsite to exceed their scheduled hours, EU research has found.

Data from Dublin-based European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, known as Eurofound, shows that teleworkers are twice as likely to exceed the 48-hour working time limit, take insufficient rest, and work in their free time.

This has knock-on effects on their physical and mental health, it said.

In its research paper entitled Right To Disconnect, Eurofound pointed to the European Parliament adopting a resolution in January this year calling on the European Commission to propose legislation on the right to disconnect.

The proposed legislation would allow workers to disconnect from work and refrain from engaging in work-related electronic communication, such as emailing or other forms of messaging, outside working hours without facing adverse consequences, Eurofound said.

As of now, just six EU member states have adopted such measures — Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, Slovakia, and Spain. 

Eurofound said legislative initiatives are in situ and policy debates are taking place in a number of other countries.

In the Right To Disconnect paper, Eurofound said legitimate questions arise as to whether existing legislation to combat the problem is worth it.

"Despite a number of court cases in which workers have challenged demands from employers to remain connected and perform work outside agreed hours, the increasing use of ICT-based mobile devices for work purposes has led to increases in connection, availability, and working hours, with associated negative implications for workers’ physical and mental health and well-being.

"This gives rise to the question as to whether existing legislation remains fit for purpose," the paper's key findings said.

It found that so-called ‘soft’ approaches to implementation is generally favoured over a ‘hard’ approach. 

"Hard approaches rely on stopping work-related communication during certain periods and therefore take the decision on whether or not to disconnect out of workers’ hands. 

"Soft approaches are based on workers and managers taking responsibility for ensuring that the ability to work remotely does not lead to over-connection and an associated extension of working hours," it said.

Last month, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said Ireland now has an opportunity to make remote working a major part of working life.

He said the legislation is forthcoming this year that will provide employees with a right to request remote working arrangements, as well as a legally admissible code of practice on the right to disconnect from work.