David T.
2 Mar 2025
Ministers expected to drop right to "switch off" as a concession to business concern over new employment rights.
It was expected the UK would follow the law in France which agreed in 2017 to end the “always on” culture by making it illegal for employers to expect their workers to be contactable outside designated work hours in order to protect family and personal time.
It did not appear in the Employment Bill which is currently making its way through Parliament, but there were promises from ministers it would emerge in future.
A government source told The Sunday Times: “The right to switch off is dead. We have to lower business compliance costs as much as possible.
Ministers are said to be making the change in a bid to boost business confidence, after the Budget placed extra costs on employers in the form of the national insurance contributions hike.
The Government source added: “Growth that puts money in people’s pockets is the number one priority of this Government’s plan for change.
“That means making Britain the best country in the world to do business and a key part of that is removing unnecessary barriers.”