Canada is considering enshrining the “right to disconnect” in its 2024 budget, allowing employees to avoid work-related tasks outside of office hours. This legislation will only apply to about 500,000 Canadian workers in public sectors like banking and transportation. Most workers in Canada are employed by provincially regulated industries and will not be affected by this federal legislation.
This move is part of a global trend to regulate labor laws in the era of remote work. Countries like the European Union have already signed treaties to protect the rights of home workers, with laws in place in several countries on the continent. Similar legislation is also being considered in the US, Germany, and Portugal.
In Ontario, a similar provincial law already requires employers to create policies for working outside of regular hours. This legislation is part of a broader effort in Canada to support millennial and Generation Z workers, with measures aimed at improving work-life balance and reducing burnout.
Unlike Israel, where labor laws have not yet addressed the issue of the right to disconnect, there have been some discussions about updating labor laws to reflect the digital age. However, no concrete steps have been taken by the legislator yet. In Israel, many employers expect full availability from employees beyond official working hours which leads to challenges related to work-life balance and burnout for workers.
Overall, the concept of the right to disconnect is gaining attention globally as countries work to find a balance between work and personal time for employees. As
