Can Employers Expect Communication From You After Work Hours?

In our increasing world of easy-communication - with email, texts, instant messaging, etc - it's become harder to employees to leave work at the end of the day and check out.  Whether it's a late-night email during the weeknight, a message over the weekend, or a text during a vacation, many people feel connected to their job 24/7, 365 days a year.  What causes stress is that - in many cases - there is an expectation to respond.

A new bill being proposed in New York City would aim to squash that.  A city council person in Brooklyn has introduced a bill that would make it against the law for employees to force workers to answer work communications outside of their normal work hours.  The bill would apply to any company that employs ten or more people.

Some are suggesting that if the bill passes muster in New York City, legislators at the state and federal level will utilize that bill as leverage for their own legislation.