California now wants to prevent bosses from calling their employees after work hours. To clarify things, the new legislation doesn't make after-work hour calls illegal.
Instead, the new California bill wants to legalize ignoring after-work hour calls. If you're an employee in California, here's what you need to know about this effort.
California to Prevent Bosses From Calling Employees After Work Hours
Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic happened, the working conditions across the world drastically changed. These changes led to remote and hybrid schedules.
However, these flexible schedules and location policies also have consequences. One is preventing American employees from establishing a concrete end to their workday.
Business Insider reported that the new California bill aims to solve this problem. Assemblymember Matt Haney said, "people now find themselves always on and never off."
"The problem we have now is the gray area, where an employee is expected to respond all the time when on paper they work a 9-to-5 job," he added via Yahoo News.
California's New Bill
Matt Haney filed the new Assembly Bill 2751 in February. This legislation would apply to both private and public employees. If it becomes law, workers will have the right to disconnect from communications during their off-work hours.
"This is not intended to say people can't work long hours or have an agreement for a contract where they're on call, but it should be made clear," explained the Democratic lawmaker.
The new bill is in the Assembly's Committee on Labor and Employment as of press time. It has been read twice and amended. However, it still needs to go to a fiscal committee before it can be considered for a final reading on the State Assembly floor for a vote.
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