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SINGAPORE – A “Right to Disconnect” law would help employees have protected time to rest and recharge, Labor MP Melvin Yong (Radin Mas) said on Wednesday (October 14) in an attempt to address the arguments against a bill that he had proposed.
The most common criticisms revolve around the potential rigidity of stipulating working hours and its impact on worker productivity, as well as Singapore’s competitive advantage.
In addition to the “Right to Disconnect,” Mr. Yong also urged the Ministry of Human Resources to conduct an annual workplace survey to address the broader issues of burnout and mental health.
Speaking during the debate on the government’s Covid-19 strategy, as described by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat in Parliament on October 5, he cited France for having successfully implemented such legislation.
He said the country requires employers and employees to negotiate the protocol for non-emergency calls and non-critical emails, outside of business hours.
Mr. Yong related that a Singaporean working in France had written to him to share that emails sent outside office hours are often accompanied by disclaimers indicating that an immediate response is not expected.
French companies also schedule non-critical emails to be sent at 8 a.m. M. Next business day.
“These are certainly not radical practices, but small steps that we can easily take here in Singapore,” said Mr. Yong, who is deputy general secretary of the National Congress of Trade Unions.
In addition, he pointed to the German concept of “Feierabend”, which describes the time after the working day ends and when the rest time begins.
This shows an understanding of the need to “get adequate rest in order to have the energy to work hard and be productive again the next day,” said Yong, who has raised the issue several times since last year.
In September 2019, he proposed that the Workers’ Compensation Law include mental health in the workplace. After the July 2020 general election, he began to suggest a “Right to Disconnect” initiative in Parliament.
ADDRESSING THE CRITICS
Critics of his proposal have questioned the feasibility of having such a law for essential services workers.
Yong, a former police officer, maintained that Singapore’s front-line police officers have been practicing protected time for years.
“When I was with the police, my officers and I were on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,” he said. “We received telephone alerts about incidents that occurred throughout the day. But between the ‘quiet hours’ from midnight to 7 am, these alerts were restricted to only a specific list of critical and sensitive cases.
“This was to make sure we were well rested enough, even when we were always on hold.”
He also cited a 2014 study from Stanford University in the United States that found that overwork (working more than 55 hours a week) caused a sharp decrease in hourly productivity and led to more accidents and injuries in the workplace. Workplace.
“(These) findings are not unique, and other researchers have found that well-rested employees are more productive, more caring, and better able to contribute creatively in the workplace,” he added.
Regarding concerns that a “right to disconnect” law does not sit well with bosses who favor those who work longer hours, he said it is a classic case of “presenteeism,” which research shows is detrimental to employment. performance of a company.
While acknowledging the need for a more detailed study on how to implement such legislation, it also suggested that the Ministry of Labor conduct an annual survey on mental health in the workplace, to track the mental well-being of workers and best practices among women. Business.
He expressed the hope that the Tripartite Notice on Mental Health, to be published at the end of the year, will include aspects of a “Right to disconnect.”
“With clearer guidelines, our unions can initiate a conversation with employers about the protocol for answering non-critical business calls and emails outside of work hours, as well as providing appropriate help for those facing burnout in the workplace. , keeping their identities confidential, “he said.
“I hope that addressing burnout in the workplace will be a key priority in the newly announced Covid-19 Mental Well-Being Working Group,” he said, referring to an inter-agency body created on October 11 by the Ministry of Health and the Institute. of Mental Health.
“After all, a mentally resilient workforce leads to a safer work environment for everyone.”
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