Limits of work in the digital age: the right to disconnect GUK

About the project

GUK 2026

Limits of work in the digital age: the right to disconnect

Number of the project: UK/1245/2026

Principal Investigator: Mgr. Kristína ježová

 

The digitalisation of work significantly alters the organisation of working time and increasingly blurs the boundaries between professional and private life. Permanent connectivity enabled by digital technologies generates new risks for employees’ health, working conditions and equality, which existing labour law instruments address only partially. The right to disconnect has therefore emerged as a potential response to these challenges. However, at EU level, no binding legal framework has been adopted, while national approaches remain fragmented and often insufficient. The project aims to examine the legal aspects of the right to disconnect in the digital working environment, focusing on its legal basis and practical application. Particular attention will be paid to two dimensions. First, the project analyses the right to disconnect as part of employers’ obligations in the field of occupational safety and health, especially in relation to technostress and psychosocial risks. Second, it explores the potential of the right to disconnect as a tool for addressing labour market inequalities, particularly with regard to employees with caregiving responsibilities and women. Research combines legal analysis, comparative assessment of selected EU Member State approaches and qualitative empirical research. The project’s outcomes will include recommendations for legislative development and employer practice, contributing to the progress of labour law in the context of digitalisation.