California lawmaker wants workers to ignore off-the-clock calls
Newsy
A California lawmaker wants to establish a state law that says workers aren't obligated to answer calls and emails outside work hours.
A lawmaker in California has proposed legislation that would give workers the right to ignore routine job messages outside of work hours.
Assembly Bill 2751 would give workers the right to ignore work communications except in cases of emergencies or schedule changes. The bill defines an emergency as an "unforeseen situation that threatens an employee, customer, or the public; disrupts or shuts down operations; or causes physical or environmental damage."
If approved, employees would be able to report violations of the law to state officials who can punish businesses with a civil fine.
On Monday, the bill was assigned to the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee.
Federal labor laws generally state that employees can be "on call" and not get paid as long as they are not at work.
