A new bill in NYC is cracking down on work-life balance for employees. Brooklyn Councilman Rafael Espinal just introduced a new bill on Thursday called “The Right to Disconnect.”
Under this bill, it will be illegal for bosses to expect their employees to work during non-work hours. The bill’s details are explained as:
“A Local Law to amend the New York city charter and the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to private employees disconnecting from electronic communications during non-work hours”
If passed, NYC would be the first city in the U.S. to make it illegal for private employers to require their employees to work after hours. Espinal told the Observer, “I think this is a win-win, not only for the employee but also for the employers because their employees, with that time… [they can] decompress, reduce anxiety and be able to perform better when they get to the work the next day.”
This bill will give employees the option to work during non-work hours if they’d like, but will get rid of the ability for employers to demand it. If an employer is caught making this requirement, they will be fined $250 each time. If a firm retaliates against their employees that follow the proposed law, they will be required to pay their employees full compensation, along with a $500 fine. If the employee is fired the employer can be fined up to $2,500!
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