Telefónica recognises right of employees worldwide to digitally disconnect

On November 23, Telefónica's management signed a document of intent recognising the right of its employees to digitally disconnect. With the endorsement of the trade union organizations in Spain, the UGT and CCOO, the company stated its goal of implementing specific measures to strengthen the respect for workers’ leisure time once the working day has ended.  The commitment to digital disconnection will be extended to all the countries where Telefónica operates, and will be incorporated soon, as an annex, to the International Framework Agreement that the company has in place with the trade unions globally. In its different countries on operation, Telefónica will promote awareness and training measures aimed at all of the group’s employees in order to inform them about the risks, challenges, and good practices related to the use of digital tools. The company will provide all the necessary tools so that the Group’s employees can develop their own ‘digital well-being’. The document follows on from a demand from Spanish trade unions and was the subject of negotiations with those bodies over several months.