Already in the European Parliament pipeline since the end of 2019, the right to disconnect (from work) has received an additional fillip amid the coronavirus pandemic. On 22 June, the social partners adopted a framework agreement on digitalization, which refers in broad terms to ‘arrangements for connection and disconnection’ (c.f. article No. 12016). However for the trade unions, the EU needs to go further and adopt new rules. The European Parliament is expected to adopt a non-legislative resolution on the subject in early 2021.
Associated with the coronavirus pandemic has been a surge in the relative share of telework, which rose from 5% in 2019 to 37% in April 2020. “With the easing of lockdown arrangements, this proportion will certainly decline. However there is a good chance that more workers than previously will continue to work remotely,” Barbara Gerstenberger, Head of the Working Life unit at Eurofound*, told the European Parliament on 23 June, before outlining the advantages and disadvantages of such...
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