Ukraine Proposes to Enshrine the Right Not to Respond to Work Messages After Work
A new draft of Ukraine’s Civil Code may introduce the «right to information peace», allowing employees to legally ignore work calls, emails, and messages outside working hours. This measure aims to protect citizens’ personal space in the era of total digitalization.
Ukraine may introduce a legislative norm that would protect employees from the obligation to remain available to employers outside working hours. The corresponding provision has been included in the draft of the new Civil Code, as reported by dev.ua.
What Does the «Right to Information Peace» Entail
According to the draft, employees will be able to legally refrain from responding to work calls, messages, and emails after the workday ends. The initiative aims to combat «digital overload» and the blurring of boundaries between work and personal life, which has become especially relevant following the widespread shift to remote work.
Why This Matters for Business
For small and medium-sized businesses, this means the need to review internal communication policies. If the law is enacted, employers will not be able to demand immediate responses from employees to messages in the evenings, on weekends, or during vacation. This could reduce employee burnout, but it will also require clearer planning of work processes and the implementation of asynchronous communication.
It is worth noting that similar norms already exist in some EU countries, notably France and Italy, where the «right to disconnect» is enshrined at the legislative level. Ukraine’s initiative is a logical continuation of the global trend to protect employees’ mental health.
What Business Owners Should Prepare For
While the bill is still under discussion, experts advise businesses to review their internal regulations now. It is recommended to define clear timeframes for communication, identify critical situations where contacting employees outside work hours is justified, and provide compensation for overtime work.
Implementing the «right to information peace» could become an important step toward forming a healthy corporate culture, where productivity is measured not by hours of «presence» in messengers, but by actual work results.
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Author: Andrew Syromyatnikov · Founder of InfoCombiner
This article was drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team. Editorial Policy