French employees now get to ignore work-related emails when they aren't working

If you're a French employee, you no longer need to worry about work emails after work.
(Image credit: iStock)

The first of the year brings a happy change for stressed or overworked French employees — the right to ignore their inboxes. A new labor law in the country gives workers the "right to disconnect" from their email or smartphones after work hours are over, CNN reports. "These measures are designed to ensure respect for rest periods and ... balance between work and family and personal life," France's Ministry of Labor said in a statement.

The law is considered a major victory for French unions, which have long complained that the digital revolution resulted in an "explosion of undeclared labor" that demands employees continue to work even outside of work day hours.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.