Why “Right to Disconnect” Expectations are Rising and What HR Leaders Need to Get Right
- 4 Min Read
The right to disconnect is no longer a future aspiration. As workload intensity, AI and hybrid work collide, employee expectations are shifting and HR leaders are under pressure to respond.
- Author: HRD Connect
- Date published: Feb 9, 2026
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The right to disconnect has long been discussed as a future aspiration for healthier work. In 2026, it is fast becoming a practical HR challenge.
Across sectors, employees are pushing back against blurred boundaries, constant availability and the expectation to be “always on”. At the same time, organisations are navigating AI-driven productivity, global teams and hybrid work models that make disconnection harder, not easier.
While the UK does not yet have a formal right to disconnect enshrined in law, expectations are shifting rapidly, driven by cultural pressure, case law trends and international regulation. For HR leaders, this is becoming less about policy statements and more about operational reality.
Why the issue has resurfaced now
The renewed focus on disconnection is being fuelled by three converging forces.
First, workload intensity remains high. Despite productivity gains from technology, many employees report working longer hours, with work bleeding into evenings and weekends. Hybrid work has removed physical boundaries without replacing them with clear norms.
Second, AI has accelerated pace rather than reduced pressure. While automation removes some tasks, it also raises expectations around responsiveness, output and availability. Employees increasingly feel they are competing not just with colleagues, but with systems that never switch off.
Third, global signals are influencing UK expectations. Countries such as France, Ireland and parts of the EU have moved further on formal right-to-disconnect protections, shaping employee perceptions of what “reasonable” now looks like.
Together, these forces are turning disconnection into a trust issue rather than a wellbeing perk.
The hidden risk for organisations
The biggest risk is not legal enforcement, but inconsistency.
Many organisations say they support balance, yet reward behaviours that undermine it. Emails sent late at night, meetings scheduled across time zones and praise for constant availability send a clear message, regardless of policy language.
This gap between stated values and lived experience is increasingly visible to employees. It erodes trust, fuels burnout and disproportionately affects managers and high performers who feel least able to disengage.
As recent HR research has shown, burnout rarely stems from isolated long hours. It emerges when employees feel they have no control over when work stops.
Why managers sit at the centre of the problem
As with many modern workplace issues, line managers are where right-to-disconnect expectations succeed or fail.
Managers are often promoted for delivery, not boundary-setting. They may feel pressure from senior leaders, clients or global teams, and pass that pressure down unintentionally.
Without clear guidance, managers default to personal norms. Some protect boundaries. Others reward availability. The result is uneven employee experience and growing perceptions of unfairness.
HR teams are then left managing the consequences through wellbeing interventions that treat symptoms rather than causes.
Policy alone will not solve it
Introducing a right-to-disconnect policy is relatively easy. Making it real is not.
Policies that are not backed by leadership behaviour, performance expectations and workload design quickly lose credibility. Employees learn when it is safe to disconnect and when it is not.
The organisations making progress are focusing less on prohibitions and more on norms. They define expectations around response times, meeting windows and escalation routes. They give managers permission to protect time, not just permission to demand flexibility.
Crucially, they align performance metrics with sustainable output rather than visible busyness.
The role HR must play in 2026
For HR leaders, the right to disconnect is becoming a test of organisational maturity.
It requires HR to influence how work is designed, how managers are assessed and how leadership behaviour is modelled. It also requires HR to challenge contradictions between wellbeing messaging and operational demands.
In 2026, this issue will increasingly intersect with other priorities. Burnout, sickness absence, retention and engagement are all tied to boundary erosion. As statutory pressures and workforce expectations rise, organisations that ignore disconnection risk compounding multiple people challenges at once.
A shift from entitlement to expectation
Whether or not the UK introduces formal legislation, the direction of travel is clear. Employees are recalibrating what they consider acceptable, and the organisations that adapt early will be better placed to retain trust and performance.
The right to disconnect is no longer about switching off entirely. It is about clarity, consistency and respect for limits.
For HR leaders, the question is not whether to address it, but how deliberately they are prepared to do so.
