Can agencies work without contacting staff outside office hours?

Labour says it will enact a law banning company bosses from contacting staff outside working hours.

The Financial Times reported over the weekend that party deputy leader Angela Rayner wants such a ban to prohibit contact by phone, email or messaging services like WhatsApp.

Such a ban could cut across the culture in many lettings agencies and other property firms, where electronic contact is made with staff, sometimes seven days a week. 

Rayner told the FT that while those working overtime or on-call could still be contacted, “constant emails and calls outside of work should not be the norm and is harming work-life balance for many”.

France, Italy, Spain and Portugal have such laws already and Belgium recently demanded all employers with more than 20 staff to introduce a similar company policy.

The FT story quotes an economist at the CIPD body for HR professionals saying that employees typically expected to work out of hours tended to be highly skilled, and it was “one of the trade-offs they make when they take those more senior positions”. 

Labour would also grant sick pay and holiday rights from the first day of employment and give workers protection against unfair dismissal. At present, employees can usually only challenge a dismissal if they have been with their employer for two years, and the lowest earners do not qualify for statutory sick pay.

Labour would also ban zero-hours contracts and the so-called fire and rehire’ policy where companies make an employee redundant and then re-engage them on worse terms and conditions.

The policies are contained in a document called A New Deal for Working People which is believed to be under consideration for inclusion in the party’s General Election manifesto.