SYNTEC signs an agreement requiring the appointment of a disconnection referent in companies with more than 250 employees

The SYNTEC branch has signed innovative agreements to meet the expectations of companies and employees. We will develop here the part of the agreement relating to working hours requiring the appointment of a disconnection referent in companies with more than 250 employees.

The partners to the negotiation of the branch (employers and employees’ representatives), underline that the right to disconnect applies to all employees, regardless of their working hours (whether or not they work on a duration of work in days “forfait-jours”) and emphasise this issue by creating a dedicated article in the collective agreement titled "Right to disconnect and obligation to disconnect".

It is reminded in this article that the right to disconnection ensures respect for rest, leave and personal and family life and that, therefore, there is no obligation on the employee to answer to requests outside working time.

To this end, companies must commit not to:

• solicit employees outside their working time.
• sanctioning or blaming employees for not answering outside working time.
• encourage or value a "hyper-connected" attitude.

The branch encourages employers to formalise, in particular through negotiations within the company, the necessary measures for the disconnection of communication tools made available (whether or not the employee works remotely), as well as a warning procedure in the event of recurrent use of the said tools.

This warning procedure, which can be initiated by the manager and/or the employee, aims to launch a dialogue between the employee and the company in order to enable them to find a solution for the employee to actually exercise his or her right to disconnect.

Where it exists, disconnection referents should participate in this warning procedure. Their role is to raise awareness among employees, whether or not they are managers, and to spread good practice. With their knowledge, they have a rightful place in such a warning procedure.

This disconnection referent is imposed by the branch in companies with more than 250 employees, but there is nothing to prevent all companies from appointing one.

These referents will be provided with all the necessary tools by the branch.

These provisions will come into effect on the first day of the calendar month following the date of publication of the extension order in the Journal Officiel and immediately for companies that are members of an employers' organisation that has signed the agreement.

Our teams can advise you on how to manage these new measures. Do not hesitate to come back to us if you wish to be accompanied.