Right to disconnect in the 27 EU Member States

After showing evidence of the increase of ICT-based flexible work (including home-based telework) and explaining the advantages and challenges of this work arrangement and its implications for working time, health and safety and work-life balance in chapter 1, the report introduces existing EU legislation pertaining to these aspects in chapter 2. In chapter 3, the report provides an overview of national legislation related to working remotely with ICTs, highlighting that only four countries (France, Italy, Belgium, Spain) use an approach to regulation which explicitly implements a R2D. Chapter 4 sheds light on reasons put forward by countries and relevant stakeholders for favouring or rejecting a legislative approach to the R2D. It also elaborates further on the status of the debates on the R2D in the Member States. Chapter 5 moves on to present the existing legislation on the R2D in France, Italy, Belgium and Spain, including the motivations behind its introduction and implementation and analysing its impact so far. In chapter 6, in the context of a surge of telework during the COVID-19 health crisis, the report shows that the issue of R2D, and the regulation of telework in general, is being reconsidered in many Member States, including in those already having relevant legislation. Finally, some conclusions are developed to highlight the main findings and their implications for the future of work and potential future policy initiatives.