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EU pushes for 'right to disconnect' from work at home

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Re: EU pushes for 'right to disconnect' from work at home

#101

Post by hobs »

MaxBarraclough wrote: post #91
mamon wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Poland the number of sick days is unlimited but you need a form filled by an actual MD in order to claim it. Vacation days are separate pool.

Seems like roughly the right solution. Sick days should exist to protect people who are unfortunate enough to get sick. Bad luck shouldn't cost you your pay, your job, or your holiday days. Sick days should not be a simple pool of days off that you get to treat as equivalent to holiday days. This approach has the effect of (further) rewarding people who are lucky with their health, and incentivises not taking sick da…

That's a huge waste of a doctor to get a note saying someone has the snuffles or diarrhea.

In america you have to realize that getting that note would actually cost people money and time.

Re: EU pushes for 'right to disconnect' from work at home

#102

Post by WealthVsSurvive »

hawktheslayer wrote: post #11

I also see the opposite impact both for me and my staff. It's very difficult to say no to the constant demands of children at home and the lack of physical distance makes it hard for me to concentrate on my work during regular work hours.

What if I told you that other countries help ensure access to good and healthy childcare because they realize that civilizations don't really stand unless you are able to raise children in them?

Re: EU pushes for 'right to disconnect' from work at home

#103

Post by Mauricebranagh »

dahfizz wrote: post #7

> The right to disconnect refers to a worker’s right to be able to disengage from work and refrain from engaging in work-related electronic communications, such as emails or other messages, during non-work hours.[1] What does that even mean? Is the EU also going to come out with the "Right to breathe" and the "Right to go to the bathroom when you need to"? I'm really frustrated with how the term "right" has been wate…

There are laws about the number of toilets minimum temps ion the work place in the UK as well as breaks.

I assume the USA has building regs on toilets etc in work places

Re: EU pushes for 'right to disconnect' from work at home

#104

Post by k__ »

cutitout wrote: post #94

I'm very happy to see that the German tax break is basically the opposite of what Deutsche Bank Research suggested, namely extra taxes for people who WFH, because they "contribute less public transport and the economy", and should "pay a tax for that privilege". They suggested the employer pay it, but still. https://www.handelsblatt.com/finanzen/banken-versicherungen/...

Sounds dumb.

There are forms of self-employment in germany that pays less taxes explicitly because they types of work don't require as much public infrastructure as other types of work.

Re: EU pushes for 'right to disconnect' from work at home

#105

Post by d33 »

> To date, workers in Germany can only write off work costs at home if they can prove they have one room in their household dedicated solely to work.

How does one prove they don't use the room for anything else? Webcam recording throughout the month? Also, this kind of deduction favors the rich as the poor can't afford having one room just for that.

Re: EU pushes for 'right to disconnect' from work at home

#106

Post by vfc1 »

You got to admit that the EU at least has the courage to take some controversial measures in the best interest of their people.

I can't see this soon enough, I have family that answer emails in vacation all the time, that get phone calls like its nothing.

I know people that connect everyday from home to the office network to work one or two hours (extra) otherwise it's impossible to keep up with the workload.

Most managers know this, and turn a blind eye as it's in their best interest to get employees to work as much as possible.

Re: EU pushes for 'right to disconnect' from work at home

#107

Post by donatj »

WealthVsSurvive wrote: post #102
hawktheslayer wrote: post #11

I also see the opposite impact both for me and my staff. It's very difficult to say no to the constant demands of children at home and the lack of physical distance makes it hard for me to concentrate on my work during regular work hours.

What if I told you that other countries help ensure access to good and healthy childcare because they realize that civilizations don't really stand unless you are able to raise children in them?

Sending your child to childcare at a time like this seems at least as dangerous as going to work.

Re: EU pushes for 'right to disconnect' from work at home

#108

Post by rapsey »

WealthVsSurvive wrote: post #102
hawktheslayer wrote: post #11

I also see the opposite impact both for me and my staff. It's very difficult to say no to the constant demands of children at home and the lack of physical distance makes it hard for me to concentrate on my work during regular work hours.

What if I told you that other countries help ensure access to good and healthy childcare because they realize that civilizations don't really stand unless you are able to raise children in them?

Some countries suspended kindergartens and school is from home. Leaving pearents on their own.

Re: EU pushes for 'right to disconnect' from work at home

#109

Post by pc86 »

mikem170 wrote: post #53
matsemann wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even better: Sick days shouldn't be a pool at all. In Norway there's X amount of sick days one can use without any hassle (all paid), to use any more all you have to do is show a doctors note. If you have to use more than Y amount of days (chronic illness, a more serious thing or something), the government will temporarily take on the responsibility of paying the worker's wages. I don't think people should be punishe…

Do people pretend to be sick to use up their X days? Many people want to have as many days off as they can. If so, you could be in the same situation, call in saying your sick to use all your days then really get sick at the end of the year. If the answer is no, perhaps that is due to cultural differences. It's my impression that folks in Norway are more responsible in many regards compared to Americans.

That's why it shouldn't be a pool. If you're sick, don't work. It shouldn't burn your vacation time to spend it in bed or throwing up in the bathroom.

Re: EU pushes for 'right to disconnect' from work at home

#110

Post by Nokinside »

aminozuur wrote: post #32

What about the employees who are happy to stay ready 'on-call', in a position where they are payed more then they've ever made? Could the employee make an agreement with his/her employer, or would such an agreement be deemed 'unlawful' under the new law?

Absolutely. The difference is that now employees get paid extra for being on-call.

EU seeks to put end to unpaid "on-call" work culture that just assumes everyone is always on-call without extra compensation.

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