5pm is Closing Time - so CLOSE!

Earlier this month I (Andrea) heard a news report from France about a new law that took effect on January 1.  It’s a “right to disconnect” law.  Workers are now allowed to not check their work emails after office hours.

Something about it struck me.  I thought, how sad is it that we actually have to have a law that tells us it’s okay to stop working after you leave work?

We all work too much.  I’m guilty of it, too.  I tend to make the excuse that because I work from home, I have very flexible hours, and so it’s okay that I might be working at 8pm on a Monday, or 2pm on a Saturday.  And in theory I guess that’s okay.  But not really.

I have set hours.  9am to 5pm.  But I don’t adhere to them.  I’ll “go in” early and “stay” late.  Not all the time, but enough that it irritates me that I’m doing it.

It has to stop.

Just yesterday I talked again about putting family first.  But all the after-hours work, checking emails, voicemails, etc. completely negates that idea.  No more.  It’s time to stop working when we should be doing other things.  It’s time to shut down the computers, ignore the emails, and go do something for you and your family first.  

Work will start all over again in the morning.  Right now, it’s your time.

You have the right to disconnect.  No law needed!

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