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France – Calls to ban emails from the bedroom

18 September 2014

Following comments yesterday from French Economics Minister, Emmanuel Macron, that “la France est malade” (France is sick) and must rethink that way it works, trade union CGT has called for companies that make staff respond to emails or work out-of-office hours to be punished, reported The Times.   

The management and technicians’ arm of the CGT (General Confederation of Labour) union said that every minute spent working at a screen, from commuting to bedtime, must be debited from the maximum working week. The union claims that the extra work “blurs the frontier between professional and private life”.

In an age when people are fighting for a greater work/life balance, many workers are willing to move job to achieve greater demarcation between their professional and personal lives. For example, workers in Sweden would rather have a job that gives them a good work/life balance than a high-status position.

There are some organisations that have already taken action to address workers’ concerns. Two companies in Germany, Volkswagen and Daimler, switch off their computer servers every night to stop employees sending and receiving emails. German Employment Minister Andrea Nahles has even proposed a law against emailing staff outside working hours. 

According to The Times, however, CGT’s approach would result in unworkable reporting and enforcement. The system of shutting down the company’s servers would be fairer, as all members of staff would be on a level playing field.

Given the persistently challenging economic and employment environment in France, it is unlikely that companies would be looking to place further restrictions on their ability to operate.