Cathy Murphy’s Post

Interesting legislation out of California. The "Right to Disconnect" bill is a groundbreaking piece of legislation. This bill empowers employees to disconnect from work-related communications outside of working hours. As someone who values work-life balance and mental health, I support this legislation wholeheartedly. In today's world, technology has blurred the lines between personal and professional life, making it difficult to unplug and recharge. The "Right to Disconnect" bill is a beacon for employee well-being and encourages respect for personal time and boundaries. This is key to long-term success and job satisfaction. What do you think about this initiative? Could it improve mental health, productivity, and work-life balance? Share your perspectives in the comments below. #Work #WorkLife #WorkLifeBalance #Legislation

🤔 It strikes me as quite something when the right to 'switch off' from work has to be enforced by law. I wonder how effective it will be? I'm not sure the good old working time directive of 1993 really makes a difference to the immense working hours expected of employees these days. There are quite a few caveats. 💡 The desire to properly address the main source of stress today - workload - has to come from the top. It takes drive, commitment and time from Senior Leadership - the latter, seemingly, the biggest challenge. ⚡ We're DONE with back to back meetings, let's stop it now. Ironically evidence of how BAD back to back meetings are came from Teams creator, Microsoft, advising the use of Outlook settings to create breaks for yourself, your team or your entire organisation. 📢 Should you train MHFAiders? Of course! But not as a cure. If there are holes in the floor, trip hazards and asbestos in your workplace, you'd expect your physical first aiders to be busy. You'd also hope they'd point out some of the hazards they're mopping up after. But you'd really need to address the hazards too. 🧠 Should you train Managers and Staff? When it makes a difference, yes. Choose wisely and beware of quick fixes - you can't download information like a USB stick to the brain. It's not just about having better conversations, people leaders can set the tone and walk the walk, with the right support and training. Compassionate and empathic leaders can inspire and motivate health and high performance. Managers and staff could, and should, be rewarded not just for achieving KPI's but for demonstrating outstanding care to their staff and each other. 😍 In this new way of working, we're craving connection even when we don't know it. Create networks so managers and staff can support each other informally (but in a safe way with boundaries) and train champions of lived experience to tell their stories safely and in a way that will inspire, move and create LURVE ❤️ for each other. It works, honest. 🆘 Have help at hand - escalation procedures, MHFAiders, suicide first aiders and helplines so there's somewhere to go in a crisis. Er...... That's it. (nod to Private Eye 😉) I was just going to repost this article but look what happened! 🤐 #mainlymentalhealth #mmhtraining #cipd #learninganddevelopment #hrdevelopment #managers #mhfaenglandtraining

RIGHT TO DISCONNECT 🔌 In 2017, France rolled it out the world’s first “right to disconnect” law — making it illegal for the boss to email workers after working hours — Americans responded the way we always do when the French do something cool: Shake their heads at how soft they are while secretly wishing we could do the same thing, like drinking wine at lunch, retiring at 62, national health care... When it comes to work, we can be downright tyrannical on themselves and one another. Fascinating or pathological ? This week, a California state lawmaker introduced one of those lefty “right to disconnect” bills that’s similar to what France created (and Australia, Italy, Portugal, Belgium and others have copied to varying degrees). Millions people are working from home at least part of the week, which is a fairly stunning acknowledgment of the toll commuting took on people before the pandemic upended office life. This bill would aim to ensure that people aren’t pinged with work emails, texts or calls outside their established work hours, with notable exceptions for emergencies or scheduling issues. “Work has changed drastically compared to what it was just 10 years ago,” said the State Assembly member who introduced the bill. “Workers shouldn’t be punished for not being available 24/7 if they’re not being paid for 24 hours of work.” Under this unlikely bill, you and your boss would have to come to a written agreement defining work hours. If the boss intrudes on your non-work window three times, you can report them and the state could impose fines starting at $100. Which like, OK — we can all agree it’s pretty silly that we’d need to put a law on the books to make people respect one another. But the reality is that smartphones have turned every work matter into a work emergency, and the pandemic blurred the line between work and home even more. No one likes pausing Succession to respond to a 9pm request, but the guilt of ignoring it and wondering whether your boss will be mad at you is also, like, not fun. More than half (55%) of workers surveyed by Pew in 2023 said that they respond to work-related messages outside of their normal hours at least sometimes, with 28% saying they do so “extremely often or often.” Being tethered to work at all hours is not only bad for workers’ health, it’s bad for business. A lot of executives and managers don’t realize how important it is for people to truly recharge. In the mid-1800s, people typically worked 12-hour days, six days a week. I believe, unfortunately, it would take a law to make a major shift,” in the right to disconnect issue. WHAT'S YOUR THOUGHTS ?

In our hyper-connected world, achieving a balance between work and personal life can feel increasingly challenging. However, a new movement is gaining traction in the UK that aims to address this: the "Right to Disconnect." This emerging concept emphasises the importance of downtime for employee well-being and productivity. Although not yet enshrined in UK law, discussions around the Right to Disconnect are intensifying. At Haddletons, we are not just observers but active participants in this transformation. We believe that happy, balanced employees are the cornerstone of a productive and innovative workplace. That's why we've adopted proactive policies to encourage our team to disconnect after hours, leading by example in fostering a culture that respects personal time. Our latest article delves into the Right to Disconnect, exploring its significance and offering practical steps for employees and organisations alike. Learn how to embrace this transformative approach to work and discover the benefits it brings to mental health, productivity, creativity, and personal relationships. Join us in understanding and implementing the Right to Disconnect, ensuring a healthier, more balanced life for all. #worklifebalance #HaddletonsBetterBusiness #Employmentlaw #Righttodisconnect #mentalhealthawareness https://lnkd.in/enRj_D4w

People’s expectations about work have shifted and many are no longer willing to work in a place that doesn’t support or show care for them. It’s incredibly damaging to workplace morale when leaders and their norms demonstrate a lack of empathy—care, concern, or understanding to people’s lived experiences. It’s even worse when employers actively add to their employees’ stress and anxiety through unreasonable RTO mandates, poorly-handled layoffs, toxic behaviors, and business as usual mindsets. Those kinds of workplace moral injuries are hard to come back from. Mental health and wellbeing tank. Burnout and disengagement increase. People will leave—often as soon as they can. Empathy is an antidote. We need to reframe our thinking. Training leaders’ empathy skills and weaving compassion into your policies and practices is not because we want people to be “nice.” It’s about creating cultures of care, concern, and understanding so employees can belong, contribute, and thrive. It’s good for people and business. #FutureOfWork #Empathy #Leadership #Burnout #MentalHealth #WellbeingAtWork #LifeWorkSynergy #EmpathyIsALeadershipSkill #Belonging #EmpathyTraining #ShiftingParadigmOfLifeAndWork https://lnkd.in/gbnBxxtC

California is taking a significant step towards redefining work-life balance with a proposed “right to disconnect” bill. This legislation is designed to protect information workers from the need to be "on call" outside their regular working hours. If you often find yourself checking work emails at home, or if your boss expects availability round the clock, this bill could bring a much-needed change. It mandates companies to develop clear action plans that outline when employees are entitled to disconnect, aiming to establish firm boundaries between professional and personal time. Non-compliance with these guidelines would result in fines payable to the State's Labor Commissioner, ensuring that companies take these regulations seriously. Having been in recruitment for over 25 years, I've seen the growing demand for such policies. If passed, this legislation could significantly alter workplace dynamics and foster a healthier work environment. It’s a developing story, and it will be fascinating to see whether the bill is enacted and its potential impact on work culture across the state and possibly beyond. For 40 years, The Swan Group has brought warmth to recruitment, prioritizing relationships over matches, connecting outstanding talent, and nurturing careers with joy and pride. Dive into industry insights, best practices, and success strategies in the life sciences sector. Join Steve on the Biotech Bytes Podcast: Listen Now! 🎧 https://lnkd.in/eETX7UPW

Is politics ruining your health... In today's workplace, the issue of office politics has gained prominence, raising significant concerns about its potential impact on our mental health. The unhealthy atmosphere spawned by office politics can disrupt our peace of mind, turning the workplace into a source of stress and anxiety, rather than a hub of productivity and personal fulfillment. Office politics frequently involves tactics like manipulation, betrayal, and power struggles, with individuals often putting their personal interests ahead of teamwork and collaboration. This creates an environment characterized by suspicion, where colleagues vie for recognition, often at the expense of their peers' career prospects and happiness. This relentless pursuit of acknowledgement and career advancement can foster a culture of negativity and perpetual apprehension, causing individuals to focus more on self-preservation than on working together toward common objectives. Engaging in office politics can lead to severe consequences for our mental well-being. The constant need to safeguard our positions, counter false rumours or accusations, and navigate the unpredictable shifts in organizational dynamics can be mentally draining. This often results in heightened stress levels, conflicts, and an enduring sense of unease. The repercussions of office politics don't remain confined to our professional lives. The stress and anxiety brought on by navigating the complexities of the workplace often spill over into our personal lives, impacting our overall well-being. It becomes challenging to disconnect from work, leading to disrupted sleep patterns, reduced concentration, and potential health issues, such as headaches or insomnia. To safeguard our mental peace, it is imperative that we acknowledge and address the issue of office politics. Organizations should strive to cultivate a culture characterized by transparency, open communication, and a merit-based system to minimize the prevalence of such politics. Employees, on their part, can aim to maintain their integrity and remain focused on their work, giving priority to professional growth over becoming embroiled in political manoeuvring. Building supportive relationships with like-minded colleagues who share similar values and goals can create a robust network that counteracts the negative consequences of office politics. It's crucial to remember that we should never compromise our mental well-being for the sake of office politics. By consciously prioritizing a healthy work environment and nurturing our mental health, we can work towards a more harmonious and rewarding professional life. Agree or Disagree... and Why? #entrepreneurship #productivity #innovation #startups #leanstartups #motivation © Wilson Luna

The Complex Reality Behind the "Right to Disconnect" Last week in Australia the “Right to disconnect” legislation was passed by the Senate on Thursday and now goes back to the House of Representatives for final approval, which is expected to occur. Not everyone is happy, however: The legislation will penalize scofflaw employers with fines, a punishment opposed by the Business Council of Australia, which contends it will “create significant costs for businesses and result in less jobs and less opportunities.” As someone who frequently works outside of standard business hours, I have mixed feelings about Australia's move towards a "right to disconnect" law. This legislation, which just passed Parliament, would require employers to respect employees' off-clock time without retaliation. On one hand, I understand the intention behind this law. The always-on work culture contributes to burnout and strains work-life balance. As someone who tends to overwork, I struggle with setting boundaries and unplugging. Guaranteeing employees’ right not to engage after work could alleviate some pressure. However, the reality is more complex for those of us who work odd hours by choice. Sometimes I actually enjoy tackling projects into the night when I can focus without meetings. Other times I simply have more work than fits neatly into a 9-to-5. Having autonomy over my schedule is valuable to me. The law raises questions around cases like mine: Could it restrict my flexibility if my employer fears breaking rules by allowing after-hours work? Might I feel less empowered to make my own decisions about extra effort? There are also concerns about implementation challenges for companies. While I support the intent behind this legislation, I worry about potential unintended consequences. Those of us who willingly work long or non-standard hours do need better safeguards against burnout. But there may be less rigid ways to shift workplace culture. I hope as this policy evolves, it considers more flexible protections that embrace diverse needs. Redefining the work week is complex, but the well-being of both employees and employers depends on getting it right. I would love to hear other's perspectives on this in the comments below 👇 #workflexibility #disconnecttoreconnect #avoidingburnout

It may not be our fault, but it is our problem. Fast Company recently shared four reasons why workers might be distracted and what we can do to help. https://ow.ly/klcP50QRm8S #BusinessCulture #WorkLifeBalance

How is your work environment? How does your workplace treat you? Do you occasionally feel that decisions are made without your input? Feeling powerless and disrespected in the workplace is understandable, given the dependency on employment for financial stability. #WorkplaceWellness #EmployeeRights #MentalHealthAtWork #RespectInTheWorkplace #WorkLifeBalance