A The digital age, where the boundaries between personal and professional life are increasingly blurred, poses a challenge to modern society, that of the “right to disconnect”.
The “right to disconnect” is a relatively recent concept; in France it has been enshrined in law since 2017, with the primary objective of allowing employees to turn off their digital tools outside of working hours, without fear of professional repercussions.
But why is this right fundamental? The main reason lies in the exponential development of instant communication tools, such as emails and messaging platforms, which have gradually blurred the temporal boundaries between personal and professional life. In an ideal world, these tools promote flexibility and autonomy, but in practice they often create “cognitive overload,” with a constant stream of notifications and requirements. Studies show that this over-connection can lead to burnout, a phenomenon made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic, where teleworking has become a norm for millions of workers. Deprived of the office environment, employees often feel pressured to stay connected all the time to demonstrate their engagement. This phenomenon, called “digital presenteeism,” fuels the stress and anxiety that research from the WHO and other institutes has demonstrated.
It may seem counterintuitive to encourage employees to disconnect more to improve productivity, but several studies reveal that companies that respect disconnection windows boost performance. When employees have the opportunity to recharge their batteries and step away from their screens, they return to work with greater creativity and focus.
In France, Orange was among the first companies to adopt concrete measures to respect the right to disconnect. As early as 2014, well before the law was promulgated, Orange established a “Disconnection Charter”, committing not to send professional emails outside of working hours. This policy has been reinforced by the use of tools that allow you to schedule the sending of emails so that they are only received during office hours, even if they are written outside of these hours.
Unfortunately, to date, Tunisia has not specifically legislated the right to disconnect, and current legislation does not provide specific provisions regarding the disconnection of employees outside of working hours.
However, in the absence of a legal framework in Tunisia, companies are advised to establish internal policies to regulate the use of digital tools outside of working hours, in order to preserve the balance between professional and personal life. employees… and, ultimately, gain productivity.
