About this course

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Modern work practices, advancements in technology, and the 24/7 economy has resulted in employees working longer hours than a generation ago and finding it harder to disconnect from work. In response to a request from the Tánaiste to address this concern, the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) launched a Code of Practice for Employers and Employees on the Right to Disconnect.

Engagement and training of managers and staff on the “Right to Disconnect” is a key feature of the Code. Employers should provide training to all staff on commencement, together with regular refresher updates throughout their employment.

Legal Island has created a 45-minute eLearning course in partnership with RDJ LLP, specifically for all employees in Ireland. The provision of this training for your staff will enable your organisation to act in compliance with the Code, help reinforce the appropriate behaviours around disconnecting from work outside normal working hours and create a culture of good work/life balance.

This course has been recently updated and now includes the most recent “Right to Disconnect” statistics in Ireland, a new ‘Meet the colleagues’ section and real life examples of organisations that are helping their employees to disconnect from work.

To enhance our ability to provide cutting-edge learning solutions, we have integrated AI tools for eLearning into this course. 

What is the Right to Disconnect?

The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) Code of Practice for Employers and Employees on the Right to Disconnect (the Code) seeks to tackle the harmful “always on” culture in the workplace and provide employees with the ability to switch off from work outside of normal working hours, including the right to not respond immediately to emails, telephone calls or other messages.

The Code confirms that the right to disconnect has three main elements:

1. The right of an employee to not routinely perform work outside normal working hours.
2. The right to not be penalised for refusing to attend to work matters outside of normal working hours.
3. The duty to respect another person’s right to disconnect (e.g. by not routinely emailing or calling outside normal working hours).

In practical terms, this means not feeling pressurised into responding to emails, calls, or other work-related notifications when we’re not at work.

What is the purpose of this course?

The Code is designed to help employers create a workplace culture in which employees feel they can:

• Disconnect from work and work-related devices
• Enjoy their rest time away from work without being disturbed
• Have a balanced and mutually beneficial working relationship

Although this Code is created largely for the benefit and protection of employees, the Code sets out obligations that employees are expected to observe in order to allow for the effective operation of the right to disconnect.

It is also important for employers to follow the Code and implement the measures outlined in the Code as failure to do so may have legal repercussions for employers in any proceedings brought against that employer.

Who needs this Right to Disconnect Training?

Engagement and training of managers and staff on the “Right to Disconnect” is a key feature of the Code. Employers should provide training to all staff on commencement together with regular refresher updates throughout their employment, to reinforce the appropriate behaviours around disconnecting from work outside normal working hours and to help create a culture of good work/life balance.

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