Malta aspires to be one of the first European countries to legally enforce the right to disconnect after office hours, Minister Carmelo Abela told a General Workers’ Union meeting.

The government was also working on a legislative framework for remote working.

The right to disconnect - protecting workers from having to reply to phone calls or emails after work hours - originated in France following a court decision in 2001. 

According to Abela, these regulations would introduce more flexibility for employers and employees while also improve the country’s economic competitiveness. 

During the meeting, Abela said that Malta had always been at the forefront of protecting workers’ conditions, and had, among others, established a minimum wage.

The government, he added, was reviewing wage orders that regulated working conditions in different sectors of employment.