O-304 the Right to Disconnect: The Need to Achieve a Better Work-Life Balance in Telework

Introduction On the emerging telework policy agenda, among the reformulations and new policies, is the right to disconnect. Materials and Methods We aim to examine, supported by a Brazilian case report, the challenges of achieving a work-life balance in teleworking. A qualitative study entailing document analysis was conducted to survey, using electronic documents, the countries that have regulated the right to disconnect. A case study was also carried out in a Section of the Brazilian Federal Courts System. In-depth interviews of 20 workers in the Brazilian Federal Judiciary during the COVID-19 pandemic were conducted. All interviews were transcribed and thematic analysis was performed with the software MAXQDA Plus 2022. This study focused on the experiences of workers in the thematic category home-work balance. Results The results show that many individuals reported difficulty disconnecting due to task overload, understaffed teams and tight deadlines. Being at home, available with a computer and cell phone connected, yet not meeting the needs of other colleagues working at different times, appeared contradictory. Making oneself always available became the rule in teleworking, particularly for managers within the federal courts system. In this context, there was a need to guarantee the ability of people to disconnect from work and not to engage in work-related electronic communications during non-work hours, a right to disconnect policy. Discussion/ conclusion In Brazil, unlike other countries, the legislation governing telework fails to address the right to disconnect with the depth required. Nonetheless, other countries have made strides in teleworking regulations: Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Colombia, France, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Portugal and Spain.