Irish Workers Reminded of Right to Disconnect on Summer Leave

Workers in Ireland have a legal right to fully switch off from their jobs while on annual leave this summer, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has reminded employees. The union stressed that this right includes not checking emails or answering work-related calls and texts.

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Every worker in Ireland has a legal right to annual leave which is intended to recharge your batteries, and that means you have a right to fully switch off from work, and a right not to be penalised for doing so.

Under the Code of Practice on the Right to Disconnect, established by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), employees are protected from routinely performing work outside their normal hours. This protection extends to being contacted or expected to engage with work matters while on annual leave.

"Every worker in Ireland has a legal right to annual leave which is intended to recharge your batteries, and that means you have a right to fully switch off from work, and a right not to be penalised for doing so," said Dr. Laura Bambrick, Social Policy Officer with ICTU.

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An expectation to 'check in' erodes everyone's downtime, undermining the employee’s R&R time and ultimately their health and safety.

Dr. Bambrick cautioned that expecting employees to "check in" during their downtime undermines their rest and recovery, potentially impacting their health and safety. She also advised colleagues to be mindful of sending messages to those on leave, noting that even a seemingly harmless email can create pressure to respond during their holiday.

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A quick email might feel harmless to send, but it lands on someone else's holiday, and it puts pressure on them to respond.