We don’t need more employment laws

We don’t need more employment laws

Q: Lawmakers in Portugal recently approved rules that support employees’ rights to disconnect from work, i.e. banning bosses from texting and emailing staff out of working hours. Surely this is a step in the right direction, given so many of us are working early and late, and face burnout? A: Working from home and digital technology puts the choice of working hours in colleagues’ hands. With no clocking in, no office hours and, for many, no office, there’s a major change to the working week . No doubt some workers take advantage and fit their job into a shorter week, but plenty are tempted to put in extra hours that decrease their leisure time. Bosses shouldn’t take advantage of conscientious colleagues who are so keen to please they put themselves permanently on call . There are times when a weekend email is totally appropriate – but employees can always turn off their computer. I like to have the latest sales figures, which means an email every evening and especially on Christmas Eve, which is one of the most important trading days of the year. That’s how retailers work: always eager to have the latest information. Our business doesn’t stop for