What do a Kenyan lawmaker, a restaurant manager in France and a Portuguese minister have in common?

They’re staunch advocates for the right to disconnect after working hours. That means no more work calls as you’re sitting down to dinner or weekend emails from the boss.

From the Great Resignation to quiet quitting, the pandemic fundamentally changed the nature and scope of working lives. But worker fatigue is a concern that preceded the coronavirus, and experts say the need to disconnect has only grown more pressing with the advent of hybrid and remote work.

When homes turned into offices during the pandemic, Kenyan lawmaker Samson Kiprotich Cherargei realized work had ballooned past the country’s mandated maximum of 52 hours per week over six days. Under a new bill set to be read in Parliament this month, employers in Kenya might be blocked from contacting workers after hours or on weekends.

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“In the era of the virtual office, it is important to create laws to mark the shift from the physical office to protect mental health, avoid burnout and ensure family time,” he said.

Several other countries, mostly in Europe, have laws protecting employees from being bothered by their bosses after work hours.

France, famous for its 35-hour workweek, pioneered such a law when in 2017 it granted workers the right to ignore work communications outside of working hours.

“Employees physically leave the office, but they do not leave their work. They remain attached by a kind...

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