New bill would ban communicating with employees during off-hours

A new bill would give California workers a “right to disconnect” when their work day is over. 

Asm. Matt Haney (D–San Francisco) introduced Assembly Bill 2751 on Monday to guarantee uninterrupted personal and family time for employees. 

The big picture: AB 2751 would give workers the right to not answer emails, text messages and calls when off the clock. 

• The bill would require both public and private employers to establish a policy that allows workers to ignore communications when they are off-the-clock.
• There would be exceptions for emergencies or discussions of scheduling during off-hours. 
• Unionized workers who already have a bargaining agreement would also be exempt. 
• Haney also included an exemption for industries that require workers to be on-call so off-the-clock workers would be able to be contacted. 
• AB 2751 has been referred to the Assembly Labor Committee. 

What they’re saying: “Work has changed drastically compared to what it was just 10 years ago. Smartphones have blurred the boundaries between work and home life,”  Haney said in a statement. “Workers shouldn’t be punished for not being available 24/7 if they’re not being paid for 24 hours of work.”