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Wellbeing & Work

Right to Disconnect

The right to disconnect refers to an employee's right not to engage in work-related electronic communications outside normal working hours. Several jurisdictions have introduced or are debating formal legal protection, including France, Belgium, Portugal, Ireland and now the UK.

Current Legal Position

Ireland introduced a Code of Practice on the Right to Disconnect in April 2021. France enshrined it in the Code du Travail in 2017. The UK Labour government has signalled a forthcoming Right to Switch Off, expected as part of the Employment Rights Bill 2025/2026.

Implications for Employee Apps

Push notifications outside working hours create legal risk. Modern employee apps offer time-band controls, do-not-disturb modes and shift-aware messaging. teamly's notification engine respects working-time configurations per role and shift.

Practical Recommendations

Define notification windows by role, give employees control over personal quiet hours, separate urgent from non-urgent communications, document the rules in your Right to Disconnect policy. teamly bundles these features into the standard rollout.

Related terms

More definitions from the teamly knowledge hub.

Wellbeing & WorkWellbeing at WorkWellbeing at work is the holistic approach to employee mental, physical, social and financial health. In the UK, employers face increasing legal and regulatory expectations around supporting wellbeing, especially since the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis.CommunicationsEmployee AppAn employee app is a mobile application that helps companies share internal communications, shift schedules, onboarding content and HR processes with their entire workforce, especially with frontline and deskless workers who do not have a fixed PC workstation.CommunicationsInternal CommunicationsInternal communications covers all channels and content with which a company informs and engages its workforce. In the UK it sits at the intersection of HR, Communications and Engagement.
FAQ

Frequently asked questions about Right to Disconnect

What HR leads, IT managers and compliance officers ask most often.

Is there a UK Right to Disconnect law in 2026?
The Employment Rights Bill includes a Right to Switch Off provision; the exact form is still being finalised. Employers should prepare now by defining notification policies.
How do I configure teamly to respect Right to Disconnect?
Via working-time windows per role and shift, do-not-disturb periods per user, and a separate "urgent" channel that bypasses quiet hours only for genuine emergencies.

Considering an employee app?

teamly is the European employee app for mid-market companies. Go-live in 3 to 6 months, your own branded app, UK and EU GDPR compliant.

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