'Right to switch off' | Creating a culture of work-life balance is now a legal requirement - here's why it's important

A major aspect of the conversation around wellbeing in the workplace has focused on responsibility.

Earlier this year, around the time of Mental Health Awareness week, it appeared many people in the business world were debating whether it was an employer’s responsibility to look after their staff’s mental health, or if it’s solely an employee’s.

The reality of the situation is that it’s a little bit of both, but employers do have a responsibility to set boundaries, especially when it comes to stress and anxiety around performing work. This is perfectly exemplified with the recent news that the government is set to implement ‘the right to switch off’ within law, which will penalise employers from contacting workers outside of an agreed set of hours.

The news, which has been met with a largely positive response, opens up a wider conversation about the importance of having boundaries in the workplace, but also how the responsibility of creating these boundaries starts with an employer.