“Right To Switch Off” scrapped, but is this good for business?

Right to ignore your boss’s phone calls after work? Not so anymore.

The “Right To Switch Off” was introduced in October as part of the government’s Employment Rights Bill, which would give employees legal rights to disconnect from any work-related activities, such as phone calls and emails, outside their regular working hours.

However, the government announced yesterday that it was scrapping RTSO from the Bill, as it aims to make the UK “the best country in the world in which to do business.”

But with employee engagement at an all-time low and stress and burnout reaching peak levels, small businesses and SMEs should still practice RTSO to ensure fair working conditions for employees.

“Right To Switch Off” scrapped from Employment Rights Bill

According to a report by The Times, the government has discarded RTSO from its Employment Rights Bill, along with other changes.

“The right to switch off is dead,” a government source said. “We have to lower business compliance costs as much as possible. Growth that puts money in people’s pockets is the number-one priority of this Government’s plan ‘plan for change,”

“That means making Britain the best country in the world in which to do business – and a key part of that is removing unnecessary barriers.”

Tackling the “overtime epidemic” for better productivity

Even before the government’s decision to scrap an official RTSO, employees have been struggling due to an “overtime epidemic”. 

Research from the Startups 100 for 2025 survey found that most UK small businesses are indecisive about giving employees the right to disconnect after work. While nine in ten respondents claimed they supported the RTSO proposal at the time, 39% believed that contacting employees out of work was acceptable.

A study reported by HR Review also revealed that 51% of UK employees work beyond their contracted hours, with 17% reporting at least two hours of overtime every day. Unsurprisingly, this has left many workers feeling stressed and burnt out.

Dubbed the “overtime epidemic”, a survey by workforce management organisation Protime UK found that 38% of employees report that they are less productive when they are obligated (or feel obligated) to work extra hours, while 29% said the quality of their work has declined. Employee wellbeing has suffered as well, with 53% of workers reporting increased stress levels, 41% feeling burnt out and 25% not taking their holiday leave due to overworking.

Evidently, this is having a detrimental effect on both employee wellbeing and productivity, only adding to the UK’s “Great Detachment” crisis. While an RTSO law is no longer going to be implemented, businesses should consider the potential impact on their own workforces of not ringfencing downtime.

What else has changed in the Employment Rights Bill?

As well as RTSO being scrapped, the government has also announced further changes to its Employment Rights Bill.

First, there are no longer plans to ban zero-hour contracts, though those that are considered “exploitative” will be targeted. Probation periods will also be set at nine months rather than six, though parental leave, sick leave and protection from unfair dismissal will be granted from the first day of employment.

Additionally, the lower earnings limit for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) will be removed, as well as the three-day waiting period to claim it. New mothers will also get stronger protections by making it unlawful to dismiss an employee six months after returning from maternity leave.