Starting on February 1, federal civil officials in Belgium will no longer be required to take phone calls from their supervisor beyond normal working hours.
According to a circular from Minister of Government Service Petra De Sutter, a new law comes into effect in the European country today, granting about 65,000 government employees the right to disconnect from their work in their personal time.
According to sources in De Morgen, which obtained the letter, De Sutter emphasised the so-called “right to disconnect” – the right to be inaccessible – of federal government officials in her circular.
Outside of usual working hours, a federal civil servant may only be approached “in the event of extreme and unforeseen situations necessitating action that cannot wait until the following working period.”
According to the law, a government employee “shall not be disadvantaged by not answering the phone or reading work-related messages outside of normal working hours.”
De Sutter noted in the circular that the ability to disconnect will now be codified in law as a way to address “excessive job stress and burn-out” among federal civil servants.
Since news of the law’s passage has spread throughout the world, Ms. De Sutter has written a Twitter post in English to acknowledge the worldwide attention.
“Modern times require modern workplaces, and I am proud to say our government is taking the lead in providing them,” she posted.
Belgium, on the other hand, is the most recent European country to enact such legislation.
Since 2016, France has had a rule prohibiting workers from being fired for not returning after-hours calls.
(With inputs from agencies)
