Leave a Message I’ll Respond on Monday..

The Ontario government is including a “right to disconnect from work” policy in new labour legislation announced at Queen’s Park. Employees are in the driver’s seat as governments re-imagine the workplace of the future. It will include expectations that when you are “off the clock”, it means you are literally “off the clock”. The laptop is closed, the out of office is on and you don’t have to respond to emails, calls, or texts from the boss.

Ah but there is that word again. *expectations*. Expectations invite disappointment. Disappointed leaders who assumed one thing from an employee, and disappointed employees who were operating under past expectations.  Are you asking your staff for input on this legislation? Are you listening when/if they raise concerns? Or are you part of the leadership team drafting policy behind closed doors?

Leaders can save themselves a lot of grief and garner huge respect if they include their employees and work on co-authored agreements regarding the “right to disconnect from work” legislation.

Employees are smart enough to realize there are some folks in roles, where being on call is necessary, widgets still need to be manufactured, and deadlines that must be met. So, get creative, work collaboratively, and come up with work arounds – that are fair to all.  If you, don’t you run the risk of losing great employees. They are in the driver’s seat and they will leave, and land at the workplace offering the work life balance they want, and feel they’ve been robbed of for the past two years.

Why make their decision to leave an easy one? You want to keep the best and brightest right? Employees may be in the driver’s seat, but the ball is in your court.