Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba has urged the European Union to immediately introduce the right to disconnect, arguing that after-hours calls and messages to workers were eroding their quality of life.

Agius Saliba organised a conference at the European Parliament in conjunction with the Social Democratic Group to discuss the issue.

Those present included trade union representatives and the EU Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights Nicolas Schmit.

The Labour MEP said a growing number of employees were receiving work-related messages after office hours and their employers or superiors expected prompt replies. The practice became more popular following increased teleworking during the Covid pandemic. 

This amounted to unpaid overtime work and deprived the workers of their free time, increased their stress and undermined their quality of life.

“Employees should be able to say - no, not now - without fear of losing their job," he stressed. 

Speakers at the conference included representatives of the European Trade Union Confederation and the European Public Service Union who called for urgent action by the European Commission.

Commissioner Schmit said that the process of proposing legislation on the right to disconnect will start in the next few weeks with consultations with the social partners.  

The European Parliament debated the subject in December and adopted a report by Agius Saliba. It also asked the European Commission to propose a directive.  

"We need an EU that protects workers and ensures they can enforce their fundamental right to disconnect from work and to have sufficient rest periods," Agius Saliba told the conference.