Work-Life Balance: 10 Countries That Prioritize Off-hours

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Creating work-life balance habits is difficult for some people due to the demands of employers during and after work hours. Many employees are required to stay behind their devices throughout the day, even after their shifts end, leaving no room for a life outside of work. 

But that's not the case in these countries, where workers are given full authority to ignore work emails and calls after hours. 

1. Australia

Australia recently enacted a new law that gives employees the right to disconnect. In general, employees cannot be punished for ignoring emails and calls outside of working hours. Both office workers and home-based workers can benefit from this law. 

As cited by Reuters, Australians worked an average of 281 hours of unpaid overtime in 2023. The number has skyrocketed since the COVID-19 pandemic, with most workers failing to achieve the work-life balance habit. 

2. France

Known as the pioneer of the right-to-disconnect law, France has a 35-hour workweek policy. Since 2017, workers have been accustomed to rejecting any request for contact with work communication after hours. This particular labor law has made France an attractive country for workers to apply for jobs. 

3. Spain

Spain followed suit in 2021 with its Right to Disconnect law, which ensures work-life balance for workers by not answering work calls after hours. Through this law, employees have a higher chance of maintaining their overall well-being by separating work-related communications during rest periods. 

4. Belgium 

Belgium is among the countries enforcing a law that gives employees full authority to refuse work-related communications outside of working hours. The country first implemented the law for its government employees, which was soon adopted by the private sector. This has helped employees achieve work-life balance habits. 

5. Ireland

Ireland has implemented a Right to Disconnect Code of Practice since 2021, the main aim of which was to help workers who feel responsible to respond to work-related communications after hours. The law was designed to build good work-life balance habits among workers, taking into account their rest time to be fully spent free from work. 

6. Italy 

The next European country on the list is Italy, where employees have legal protection to refuse work-related communications after hours. The right to disconnect law in Italy has been well received by workers, mainly to improve the workers' mental health. 

7. Portugal 

Portugal was the first country to adopt the right to disconnect law in 2021, which encourages workers to ignore work calls outside of working hours. Employers in all sectors must comply with the law. Fines may be imposed for non-compliance. 

8. In Argentina

Argentina's right to disconnect law was enacted specifically for remote workers in 2021. All remote workers in the country have the full right to refuse any work-related communication after hours. In addition, employees who serve as caregivers for children under the age of 13 or the elderly may request a break during work hours to provide care. 

9. Chile

Similar to Argentina, Chile's right to break applies only to remote workers. Failure to comply with the disconnection time in the employment contract may result in specific fines. 

10. Luxembourg 

Luxembourg recently implemented the right-to-disconnect law as of June 2023, where employers are required to implement the settlements through agreements. Failure to do so will result in a fine of between EUR 251 and EUR 25,000. 

Times of India

Editor's Choice: 7 Countries With Best Work Culture, Work-Life Balance

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