THE Labour government has promised to give workers the "right to switch off" so that homes do not become "24/7 offices".

Under this plan, employees would have the right to ignore work calls and emails out of hours.

Downing Street said the plans were part of a wider push to improve Britain’s low productivity levels and prevent workers from burning out.

Ministers are looking at models in other countries where there is already a right to disconnect, such as Ireland and Belgium, Sky News reports.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's spokesperson said it was crucial for the line between home and work life to not become blurred.

She said: "The purpose behind this is ensuring that employees and businesses have the right arrangements in place to ensure that they can be productive.

"One of the central missions of the government is for growth and we know that productivity is vital to growth."

The plans were not a "one size fits all" and would recognise companies vary and people have different roles, she added.

How does the right to switch off work in other countries?

In Ireland, a Code of Practice was developed in consultation with trade unions in 2021.

This requires employers to engage with staff on a "right to disconnect" company policy, setting out the circumstances when people can be contacted outside of normal working hours.

The code is not legally binding in itself but can be used in evidence against employers in claims for breach of employment rights.

Meanwhile, in Belgium, the right to disconnect is backed by legislation and only applies to companies with more than 20 employees.

The likes of France and Spain have had similar rules in place for years, with France giving employees the legal right to avoid emails outside working hours back in 2017.

Labour proposed the "right to switch off" as part of its "New Deal for Working People".

This election manifesto promise would give workers and employers to chance to have "constructive conversations and work together on bespoke workplace policies or contractual terms that benefit both parties".

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This is a package of measures aimed at strengthening workers' rights and boosting economic growth.

A government source told Sky News that the details of what "right to switch off" policies would look like were still being worked out and "it has to be something that businesses and their workforce agree among themselves rather than a diktat".

"We're conscious of the disproportionate impacts of these sort of policies on smaller businesses, that will factor into how we draft it," they said.