Actuality¹⁴⁹

I won't tell you anything new by stating that the pandemic and the massive shift to remote work have profoundly transformed many aspects of our daily lives. After two years, what is the boundary between personal and professional life for workers and employers?

We can see that acquired habits of hyperconnectivity persist. More of us are bringing our computers home and logging in after the 'traditional' working hours, and this only exacerbates the general exhaustion of employees. A recent study by Robert Half of 500 Canadian workers found that over 60% of employees work more than 40 hours a week, and 38% of them felt even more exhausted than at the same time last year.

On the other hand, the Young Chamber of Commerce of Montreal notes, after consulting its network, that a majority of workers do not know whether the organization that employs them has a policy of the right to disconnect or not.

Often informal, these rules can have significant implications for the well-being of employees in a context where a large proportion of workers report professional burnout.

As we observe this phenomenon and its impact on the mental health of professionals, we also realize that it will be complex to propose solutions that will suit everyone. It is clear that the pandemic, despite its countless negative consequences, has also brought positive effects for many of us: more flexible schedules, remote work, time savings, better work-life balance, and more. These new realities are now part of our lives, and several companies have already adopted them permanently; they are likely here to stay.

However, some jurisdictions and organizations around the world have introduced or proposed policies on the right to disconnect that could limit this newfound and appreciated autonomy for many employees. Unfortunately, in Quebec, we are not there yet; we are lagging behind.

The expectations of many employers, as well as the obligations and rights of employees regarding disconnection, are often misunderstood, and we must quickly clarify the situation to limit the negative effects of this uncertainty, which is not in anyone's favor. The Young Chamber of Commerce of Montreal strongly encourages organizations to establish a formal right-to-disconnect policy, which specifies disconnection hours and defines exceptions. We also believe that leaders have an important role to play in ensuring that the right to disconnect is respected, especially by setting an example and actively promoting the standards to be followed.

The government also has a crucial role to play. It would likely be too restrictive (and possibly counterproductive) to impose fixed hours on all organizations, for example. Nevertheless, we believe that the obligation to establish a policy would help clarify the expectations of different employers and establish equity among employees.

It is necessary for the National Assembly to work on better regulating the right to disconnect while ensuring that the solutions adapt to individual and sectoral realities. In Ontario, it has been mandatory since June 2 for companies to have a right-to-disconnect policy. It is time for the Quebec political class to revisit this issue. In this pre-election period, we will closely monitor the commitments of the political parties.

We are entering a new era regarding work organization. It is necessary to clarify the rules of the game.