One of the Labour Party’s central pledges during the last general election in the United Kingdom was the launch of the Make Work Pay program. This plan centers on a set of measures intended to lift the working lives of thousands of people in Britain. Keir Starmer repeatedly said he would return the Labour Party to serving the working class in the weeks before voters went to the polls. Now, barely two months into the new government, work has begun on one arm of that plan: the right to disconnect for employees.
The goal is simple: ensure people have time to rest.
The primary aim is to stop bosses from contacting staff outside normal working hours or while they are on leave. It also protects the right to ignore emails or to avoid weekend work. This practice has become common as remote and hybrid work blurs the line between home life and the office. The initial draft, reported by The Times, requires employers and employees to agree on a conduct code that defines standard hours and the moments when workers may be contacted.
Potential penalties and what they mean
Breaking the agreement will not automatically trigger a lawsuit in most cases, but it can serve as an aggravating factor if a larger dispute arises. If a company breaches the right to disconnect, it could face up to a 25 percent increase in compensation payments, a cost that translates into substantial sums in euros. The government stresses that details are still under discussion and that the policy will not apply equally to all firms or sectors.
More than one third of UK workers already spend time outside their hours reading and replying to emails
The government is looking at models from countries where the rule is already in place, including Belgium and Ireland. One option is to limit the rule to firms with more than 20 employees, a threshold that would exclude millions of workers. The Department for Business and Trade notes that over four million people are employed in firms with fewer than ten workers, roughly 15 percent of the private sector workforce. Raising the minimum to twenty workers could change those numbers, though officials have yet to provide further specifics.
Aiming to boost productivity
While many details still need finalizing, the government argues the measure is necessary to lift productivity and spur economic growth. A government spokesperson said the policy is about helping people relax and stay motivated. He noted that a culture of constant presence at work can undermine productivity and that workers should be allowed to disconnect to recharge.
Recent data from the Trades Union Congress indicates that more than a third of British workers read or answer emails outside their scheduled hours, and nearly 40 percent report taking on more tasks in the same window, with mounting stress. The TUC general secretary, Paul Nowak, warned that extended hours and rising demands are creating widespread problems across the country. Meanwhile, nearly 10 million adults of working age remain not in work, representing a notable share of the population and signaling broader economic dynamics at play.