Section 1.2: System Policies and Procedures

Approved: June 21, 2022

DISCONNECTING FROM WORK

1.0             Rationale

This policy is informed by the Employment Standards Act 2000, as amended by the Working for Workers Act 2021.

The objective of this policy and its associated procedure are to provide guidelines to eliminate or significantly reduce the practice of work-related communications after hours, including emails, telephone calls, video calls, or the sending or reviewing of other messages.

This policy is to be interpreted and applied in accordance with the district’s commitment to promoting and upholding Indigenous rights and human rights in all of its learning and working environments. This includes anti-colonial, anti-discriminatory and anti-racist approaches, and actions to provide services and employment that are safe, welcoming, respectful, inclusive, equitable, accessible and free from discrimination and harassment consistent with the Equity and Inclusive Education Policy, the Workplace Harassment Policy, and any District School Board Ontario North East (DSB1) policies on human rights or a safe and respectful workplace.

2.0             Definitions

After-Hours: Any time between the hours of 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m., Monday to Friday, all day Saturday, Sunday, statutory holidays, and (if applicable) any other Board-designated non-working days. This definition may be varied depending on specific agreements with employees, as to employee work hours or requiring an employee to be available for After-Hour emergencies. 

Disconnect from Work: Not engaging in work-related communications, including emails, telephone calls, video calls, or the sending or reviewing of other messages; to be free from the performance of work.

Mass emails: electronic mail messages sent to a large number of employees.

3.0             Policy

DSB1 is committed to ensuring a healthy work and home life balance for all employees. Therefore, all employees are advised to disconnect from work after-hours, unless there is a matter that can reasonably be constituted as an emergency or a significant event that calls for immediate action.