Poll: Do you check work emails while on holiday?
This is the time of year when most people check out from the daily grind – in theory, at least.
EARLIER THIS MONTH, a subsidiary of meat producer Kepak was ordered by the Labour Court to pay €7,500 to a former executive who was required to handle out-of-hours work emails.
The worker, Gráinne O’Hara, said she was contracted to work 40 hours a week but in reality worked close to 60 hours, sometimes dealing with work emails after midnight.
The Labour Court ruled that the Kepak firm had breached the Organisation of Working Time Act and failed to curtail the time she spent working.
As well as serving as a stark warning to employers, the case highlights how technology can interfere with an employee’s downtime.
At this time of year, most people take their annual holidays and – in theory, at least – check out from the daily grind.
With that in mind, we’re asking Fora readers this week: Do you check work emails while on holiday?
