No Blanket Solution: WEC-Europe Calls For Nuanced Approach On Right To Disconnect

WEC-Europe does not believe that an EU legislative intervention for a "right to disconnect" is the answer to the challenges posed by digitalisation and the rise of telework. Instead, the European HR services industry calls for tailored action at sectoral or company-level; or through social dialogue at national level.

This position comes in response to the European Commission's consultation on telework and workers' right to disconnect. The way we work is undeniably changing. The traditional notion of work as a fixed location has evolved to work as a task to perform - a shift driven by digitalisation, evolving worker expectations, and the growing importance of autonomy. Recent research by the World Employment Confederation shows that 83% of workers value flexibility in when and where they work just as much as their pay. And employers are listening: 92% of business leaders say they'll need a more flexible workforce in the next two years.

Yet not every job can be done remotely, and not every worker wants the same kind of flexibility. A rigid legal framework could unintentionally create divides between those who can telework and those who can't. Moreover, the idea of a legally binding right to disconnect may not be practical or enforceable. While the concern is real, blanket rules could do more harm than good.

Custom-Fit Rather Than Cookie-Cutter

While WEC-Europe believes the answer lies not in EU legislative intervention, it supports action at sectoral or company-level to secure workers' well-being and work-life balance, tailored to their specific contexts. Some non-binding, EU guidance on telework and the right to disconnect through recommendations could, however, be valuable.

The European HR services industry also highlights the importance of considering cross-border work arrangements, especially in services like Employer of Record (EOR), where international operations complicate the picture. In these cases, global guidance may be more appropriate than EU-specific legislation.

WEC-Europe also believes in the value of social dialogue to develop tailored solutions, reflecting specific national circumstances. If Social Partners' actions on telework and the right to disconnect are initiated at the EU level, these should be held at the cross-industry level social partners. At this stage, WEC-Europe and UNI-Europa do not intend to engage in negotiations on telework and the right to disconnect for the agency work sector. Working conditions in Europe and the agency work sector are already quite strictly regulated, and telework is not a new form of work, but a way to organise work that matches companies' and workers' needs.

In short, WEC-Europe calls for any action related to telework and the right to disconnect to consider the labour market dynamics and properly reflect the changing world of work.