Right to Disconnect Policy
PURPOSE
Kotn understands and recognizes that an employee’s time outside working hours is meant for employees to recharge and spend time as they wish, and should not be used to complete work-related tasks; however, there may be a lack of separation between home and work that makes it difficult for employees to truly disconnect. Because work is more accessible, employees may end up continuing to work even after their workday is done. Using personal time to work can make an employee feel as though they are “always on” or obligated to continue working or respond to communication.
The purpose of this Right to Disconnect policy is to establish a foundation to support employee wellness, minimize excessive sources of stress, and ensure that employees have the right to disconnect from their work outside their regularly scheduled hours.
SCOPE
This policy applies to all employees at Kotn.
POLICY ELEMENTS
Right to Disconnect:
Kotn team members have the right to disconnect from their job and any work-related tasks or communication outside of working hours without fear of reprisal. Team members are encouraged to set clear boundaries between work and their personal lives. The right to disconnect means that team members:
Can and should stop performing their job duties and work-related tasks when they are not expected to work;
Are not required to take work home with them to complete outside of regular working hours;
Are not expected or required to respond to work-related communication outside their regular working hours, while on break, or during any paid or unpaid time off;
Should take and use all of their scheduled breaks and time off entitlements for non-work related activities; and
Will not face repercussion or be penalized for not communicating or continuing to work outside of their regular working hours.
Team members must also be respectful of others’ right to disconnect and should not expect their co-workers to respond, communicate, or complete work when not working.
Workload & Productivity:
Kotn understands that team members may want or need to work outside their normal hours to meet a time-sensitive deadline, to attend to an urgent matter, or due to unforeseen circumstances; however, employees should not regularly or frequently work outside their scheduled hours to complete or catch up on work.
Employees who cannot manage their workload during their regularly scheduled hours should meet with their direct manager to evaluate the current workload, priorities, and due dates. Managers will work with employees to come up with a solution to ensure:
The current workload does not result in the employee working excess hours or contribute to additional stress and burnout;
Normal job duties can be completed during working hours; and
Employees can remain productive and meet company goals and objectives.
Working additional hours does not always equate to higher productivity. Kotn team members can maximize their productivity during their workday by using time management tactics, such as:
Blocking off periods in your schedule and calendar to complete specific tasks or address communication;
Working with your manager to organize work in order of priority or importance;
Breaking down projects and tasks into manageable chunks;
Minimizing interruptions by setting their online status to “busy” or “do not disturb;”
Trying to have at least one dedicated workday per week without meetings (where possible); and
Setting goals to work continuously for a specified period before taking a break or responding to communication.
Communication:
Kotn may on occasion send general communication to employees when they are not working, such as on an employee’s day off or scheduled vacation, but will do its best to ensure that communication requiring an immediate response from employees is not sent at these times. Team members are not expected to respond to any company communication when not at work, with the exception of unforeseen circumstances, such as an emergency.
Team members must also respect others and avoid direct communication like sending emails, messages (through their phone or other communication and messaging apps), or calling other employees or clients outside their regularly scheduled working hours, during breaks, or during an employee’s time off, such as their regular day off or vacation time.
Kotn understands that it may be necessary to send communication to a group of employees, such as an entire department, or forward important information to an employee who is not working. If employees do send communications to others who are not at work, they should not expect a response until the other employee returns. If the matter is urgent or an emergency and requires an immediate response, team members should reach out to the manager of the department or team.
Team members who do not reply to work-related communications outside normal working hours will not face negative effects on their employment.
Employees can set communication boundaries by:
Setting clear expectations for email response time;
Logging off for the day or setting your online status to “away,” “out of office,” “do not disturb,” or “offline” when not working;
Scheduling any breaks or time off in your calendar; and
Avoiding using work email for unrelated communication, such as newsletters, coupons, or personal correspondence.
If team members send communication outside working hours, others are more likely to feel obligated to respond or assume the employee sending the communication will be available during those hours. If it is necessary to compose messages or communicate outside regular working hours, team members should use a scheduling tool to send the e-mail at a specified time during work hours, such as the start of the next workday.
Break and Time off:
Breaks are provided in accordance with provincial employment standards and federal regulations per jurisdiction and are intended to provide team members with time to recharge, and enable them to resume their regular work productively. Team members should take any scheduled or company-provided breaks during the work day. You should take time away from your work and refrain from responding or sending communication during breaks.
Kotn understands the importance of all team members to have personal time off. Team members are encouraged to use their accrued paid vacation time in full every year for rest, relaxation, and personal pursuits. Team members are expected to complete any time-sensitive projects and meet any deadlines before going on vacation. If work can be attended to after the vacation, you can resume your duties where you left off before taking vacation. Managers will work with team members to delegate job-specific duties that must be completed while on vacation to maintain workflow and productivity. Team members should not be reluctant to take vacation due to workload, unless there are limitations or restrictions because of a due date, project priority, scheduling conflict, or unforeseen circumstance that preclude proceeding on planned vacation at a specific time requested.
Mental Health Support:
Kotn recognizes that the workplace plays a significant role in managing and supporting mental health, and understands that deterioration of mental health and wellness can be triggered by excess pressures at work or at home and result in lowered work performance and harm to one’s physical and mental condition.
We will actively support team members’ mental health by:
Minimizing work-related sources of stress and addressing internal factors that contribute to burnout;
Regularly assessing workload, productivity, and expectations;
Promoting work–life balance;
Helping employees recognize the signs and symptoms of mental health issues;
Having an open-door policy for communication and ensure employees are comfortable talking to their manager about mental health concerns;
Treating mental health with the same level of importance as physical health and safety;
Conducting risk assessments to identify workplace factors that worsen or improve mental health; and
Providing employees with the assistance and access to resources they need to support their mental health (such as employee assistance programs, accommodations, and so on).
Administration and Review:
The People Operations Team is responsible for administering and enforcing this policy. If you have any questions about this policy, please contact the Director, People Operations.
Kotn reserves the right to modify, amend, suspend or terminate this policy at any time, at its sole discretion, with or without notice. This policy will be reviewed regularly to ensure that it reflects current practices of KOTN as well as legislative requirements.
