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Dolly Parton wisely said, “Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.”

Now, imagine being able to put down your phone at 5 p.m. and know that you don’t have to check any work messages until the next workday.

Well, the government of Belgium, along with several other nations, are taking that idea to heart.

As of Feb. 1 a new law was introduced in Belgium permitting civil servants not to answer work phone calls, emails and texts after work hours. They are allowed to completely shut off without any recrimination.

How great would it be to put down your phone at 5 p.m. and know that you don’t have to check any work messages until the next workday?

According to The Brussels Times the exception is “in the event of exceptional and unforeseen circumstances requiring action that cannot wait until the next working period.”

Petra De Sutter, the Belgian Minister of the Civil Service announced that this “right of disconnection” is a necessity. It combats the thinking that employees must always be on call. This is especially true since the pandemic when so many employees are working from home and the lines between work life and time off are blurred.

According to The Brussels Times, De Sutter said in a letter, if people cannot disconnect from work, “the result will be stress and burnout, and this is the real disease of today.” De Sutter added that disconnecting from work “is linked to positive well-being outcomes such as better focus, better recuperation...

Read Full Story: https://parade.com/1338312/jerylbrunner/belgium-right-to-disconnect/