The right to disconnect?

I will start by saying this week’s Bus ?? writes ?? was inspired by a conversation. Let me preface this that I do not usually listen to conversations but this was loud enough to hear without any effort on my end… so I note post writing this piece if no one sits near me on the bus and are radio ?? silence I know this has reached another PTV supporter ??

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The conversation was about the rights to disconnect one of the passenger lamenting that her line manager often call her after she has end her workday and the friend was with her just informed to just share the information or rights to disconnect but she was skeptical cause she mentioned most often the reasons why she was reached was valid. Also she is geared for promotion and hence rather stay quiet.

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Looking ?? back at my career back home anytime is a good time to call or get a call, get a text, or time sensitive email from the boss to act on. Did not think much about it as everyone is believed to have the common sense not to or avoid calling after work hours. However it is how work is designed and the layers we have in the organisation that make that frown upon after hours call required. Simple scenario the one wanting to know the report, does not manage the report, the one managing it, does not prepare the report, the one preparing the report, does not have access to download the report, some IT guy needs to generate it. Although, the above may just be an exaggerated account, but the idea ?? is that there are interdependencies, and this interdependencies exist even after work hours.

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I remember an account where I had a call from a manager when knowingly he/she/they knew I was in the hospital and my kid was in an emergency unit, of course, your eyes ?? maybe rolling now, but if I had ignored that call it would have been valid, but it is just that I had access to that info and it was urgent, obviously the call ended with checking if all was fine at the hospital. That, is just it, I had the right to disconnect but whether one wants to use that right, weigh it out, and most importantly before disconnecting, think ?? about the discretionary effort your employer built during your employment with them, if they gave you an impression that your effort and relationship is only worth that 9-5pm office hour then disconnect all you want.?

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So 2 things come to mind with this new way of working, look ?? across your work process/streams, what and where the interdependencies are, knowing of this act/legislation,?

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1. Work with IT to ensure all your teams reports or work output is accessible at a real time basis, and this reports are made easy with data visualisation, so anyone in the organisation either senior or junior can make sense of the info.

?2. As an employee, if at all there’s a work call coming in, know that it is coming in from an absolute needs basis, yes you have the right but also think about what discretionary mileage that has been afforded thus far.

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I for one welcome this change, as there is a cautionary note of employers respecting personal time but all within reasons, this act should not have been the basis at all for encroaching personal time as truth be told your line manager too has a personal life outside work and would want to have that time for family.

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On a lighter note my Mrs has sent me the same act/info, and informed me of my right to reconnect to the home when I get back and not constantly say I have work to do even if it’s past 9pm. I find the the nights are the best time to go through profiles and do reach outs, unsure if that too maybe wrong sending a LinkedIn InMail after work hours ??

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Pssst… want to help me reduce the hours looking for talent post work hours, browse APN’s page we have 4 roles open ?? we do have more listed… tip Seek and your will find ???

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Happy hump day and have a great week ahead.

This weeks BusWrites is an article... It has been awhile since I wrote one, and this was inspired by real chats of 2 bus folks.

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