American workers, bosses, struggling to find the turn off switch

Earlier this year, at least for a moment, it seemed like American office workers might be poised to earn a right that a growing number of professional peers around the world now possess: the right to disconnect from the job when not actually on it.

The most recent legislative effort in California stalled, according to Joanna Starek, senior partner and chief commercial officer at leadership consulting firm RHR International, because it presented an unrealistic view of how work actually happens. “Imagine working in a global company that has employees in 38 countries,” she said. In effect, it overdetermines the need for a work day not circumscribed by a 9-to-5. Similarly, the rise of remote work has a promise of flexibility built into it that workers want. “They may opt to take a few hours off during the middle of the day, and then work on a project in the evening,” she said.

But Starek says the stalled bill does have clear merit in its philosophical context, and the questions it poses won’t go away. What defines a day of work in today’s world? What can companies do to help employees understand when to say ‘No’? But a bill that is predicated on the notion that people work 9-5 in the same time zones can’t solve those issues. “More groundwork needs to be done to fully understand the world of work today before something like this could pass in the U.S.,” Starek said.