Posted on 03/24/2018 9:54:10 AM PDT by Olog-hai
A City Council member wants to crack down on bosses who require their employees to maintain contact after hours, and his idea is picking up steam.
Raphael Espinal, who represents the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Bushwick, Bronwsville, Cypress Hills and East New York, is set to introduce a bill in a City Council meeting on Thursday that establishes New Yorkers’ “right to disconnect.” The legislation would make it illegal for employers to require employees to access work-related electronic communication outside of their regular work period.
If passed, the law would allow workers who are regularly bombarded by urgent, late-night emails from their bosses to issue complaints to the city’s Department of Consumer Affairs, which would then proceed launch an investigation. The legislation only applies to businesses with at least 10 employees, and those that are found to be in violation of the law would be subject to civil fines. […]
The bill will be presented to the City Council on Thursday. It currently has no co-sponsors, but Espinal hopes to hold a hearing on it in a meeting of the Committee on Consumer Affairs and Business Licensing (of which he is the chair) before the summer. …
(Excerpt) Read more at timeout.com ...
The stupidity continues.
NY big business will move out.
I understand the concept but it’s idiotic to have any government involved in this.
Perhaps Espinal is unaware that labor law already prohibits employers from requiring employees to conduct work-related activity when they are off-duty.
Prohibiting employers from contacting employees during off hours is a terrible idea. There are cases in which the employer has a legitimate interest in off-duty communication. For example, if a natural disaster hits, the employer has a legitimate interest in finding out if the employee is affected.
The article is not clear about what, exactly, Espinal is proposing. In any case, he should study up on existing law and make an effort to understand employer/employee relationships.
At my place of employment, we have contact information on every employee, contractor, and student who spends even a couple of weeks with us. And we have contacted employees who are on vacation on certain occasions (like natural disasters).
Nanny state.
all the important stuff...
And why are bosses calling? If they are calling to see if you can cover another shift at work, for example, then you will be paid, possibly overtime pay, to cover the shift.
A blanket ban to not allow contacting people outside of work hours seems extreme to me.
I realize that this is NYC, but Oracle just announced today (or yesterday) that they’ll soon be employing 10,000 people in Austin (people who, a generation ago, would have been employed in California). And while Austin is run by people as left-wing as California, Texas is not and we don’t permit yocals to do stupid things, such as something like this law.
Having been an upper Management Salaried (Exempt) Employee for Decades, it was understood that when you needed take care of a problem, no matter when, you were expected to do what is necessary.
I remember having to deal with some issues when I was on my Honeymoon in Hawaii, calling into the Office to make sure things were getting done.
At times I needed to call in a Non-Exempt Hourly / Salaried Employee to work extra Hours or Overtime Hours. Is that now forbidden with Laws like this too?
I knew exactly what I was getting into when I accepted a position of responsibility.
The Corporations operation ran 24/7/365 with three shifts a day. There were no “non-essential” Government like Jobs.
These new “Workers Paradise” Laws are getting more ridiculous every day. (Just like every other Law)
I got an idea! How about 2 hours of pay if they call you. If it is an emergency they won’t care. Sounds like the state is in the bargaining business.
That’s the idea. The left wants to destroy all remaining viable economic centers on American soil to empower the ones of the enemies.
I was on 24/7 call in status for most of my working life but was given compensation time off so it never bothered me. The nature of our operation made it difficult for our plants to shut down.
I solved this problem a long time ago...I don’t answer email or calls from the office on my off hours. Of course, I’m not management, which would be another issue altogether.
I am sure that will go over well.
Wow. So first responders and emergency workers couldn’t be called in emergency situations when off the clock? Not sure that would work for long. NYC and SF seem to be on open competition for creating stupid laws.
I can imagine how well that would work if one of NYC’s water tunnels develops a serious problem.
I get calls after hours sometimes and it’s not a big deal. Sometimes from customers and if it gets too involved we resolve to follow up next day or whatever. Only losers and snowflakes refuse to go the little extra mile now and then. Why should the state get involved? Let the business and employees hash it out or change jobs/careers. As an employer who would you promote, the slacker entitled loser or the diligent, responsible employee? The state wants to make all equal losers. Communists.
More nanny statism. If I hate my boss and job that much, I’ll leave. At will employment works both ways. I don’t need Big Government stepping in with nonsense regulations.
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