INTERESTING: Should it be illegal for bosses to text employees after hours?
Do you stick to your working hours or not?
There are definitely blurred lines when it comes to employees and working hours. Sometimes it's a culture thing, whilst other times it can be said that it is a lack of respect when it comes to setting boundaries.
And of course there is the fact that other times, it's the nature of business, so it's part of your job description to be on call at odd times. Nowadays, it has become even more challenging to set boundaries as we made the transition to working from home at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
So many people have been unable to set the clock in terms of not being accessible after their workday has been completed. Some say it's got to do with guilt because they are working from home, whilst others attribute it to the fact that they are just grateful to have a job and feel there is an obligation to abide by what your boss says.
Whatever the reasoning behind it is, there should be a mutual understanding from both parties and, importantly, a conversation that needs to establish a set of boundaries. If for anything, it should be set out for a sense of mental stability.
On this note, if you are in a job where you receive messages from your boss after hours, and you are not happy with this arrangement, then we have a solution - well, advice and a solution.
Advice: Have a conversation...
If you're not happy about it, then speak up about it. Talking about things has a negative stigma attached to it and that should definitely be scratched. If you do not advocate for yourself then you cannot rely on anyone else to do it for you; also if you don't then you have no right to complain... #JustSaying!
Solution: Move to Portugal...
"In the hopes of creating a “digital workforce” that works for all parties involved, Portugal has made it illegal for employers to contact their workers after their contractual hours.
The new labour laws bring new penalties for companies that disturb the privacy of staff or their families, and obligate employers to compensate staff for work-related expenses incurred at home." (MSN)
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The government has opted to introduce this into labour law legislation due to more people working from home due to COVID-19.
We appreciate their review of the working force and the things that many workers have been going through. It shows true leadership from the Portugal government and in case you were wondering, we were not joking. Check out what their secondary thought process was in terms of introducing the legislation.
"Building a healthy remote working culture could also bring other benefits to Portugal, Mendes Godinho said, in the form of foreign remote workers seeking a change of scenery. We consider Portugal one of the best places in the world for these digital nomads and remote workers to choose to live in, we want to attract them to Portugal." (MSN)
So would you consider moving? Here are some other countries that are - or have - considered a similar law.
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