The Right to Disconnect
The “right to disconnect” is defined as the right of an employee not to be expected to engage in business activity out of hours including: answering work calls, emails, or other work-related communications.
One of the four strategic priorities of the Board is “Health and Wellness” for staff and students. The Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education is committed to the health, well-being, and the work-life balance of its employees, as well as the continued safety and efficiency of its operations. The purpose of this administrative procedure is to identify the Divisions expectations and requirements with respect to the ability of employees to disconnect from work.
Our teachers, administrators, and support staff are dedicated professionals and are not expected to respond to queries during “off” times when their attention should be directed to recharging and devoting time to their personal lives. The Division has implemented the “6:00 p.m. - 6:00 a.m. rule” which means that emails/phone calls should not be made between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., as well as on weekends, unless it is an emergency. Employees are encouraged to use the “scheduled send” function in their email if sending communication outside of office hours. To learn more about the schedule send function, click here: How to Schedule Send an Email
Thank you to staff and families for supporting this health and wellness initiative and the implementation of Administrative Procedure 493 - Disconnecting from Work