# Disconnecting from Work Policy

This policy clarifies your rights and highlights Hypha's support and commitment to Ontario's [Bill 27, Working for Workers Act, 2021](https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-42/session-2/bill-27), which received royal assent and is now law.

**Please note:** While this law only technically applies to team members working in Ontario, we consider these guidelines to represent everyone at Hypha, regardless of the Province (or Country) of Work.

## The Legislation

The [Working for Workers Act, 2021](https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-42/session-2/bill-27) outlines the employee's rights as "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" outside of team members' regular working hours.

## How It Works At Hypha

Whether your schedule is structured around set hours, changes day to day, or flexes around personal obligations, you have the right to disconnect once your workday is done and during any paid time off (PTO).

That said, given our flexibility in work schedules, it is likely that team members will still receive communications from colleagues at irregular times, such as evenings and weekends. There is no expectation for you to check for, read, or respond to communications outside of your work schedule. There will be no reprisal for employees who have boundaries around their work hours and communications within their work schedule.

## Disconnecting from Work FAQs

### Is anything different for our 5 days/week vs 4 days/week team members?

No. Whether you are a 5 days/week or 4 days/week team member, your rights apply to disconnect outside of your working hours.

### What if I have to work overtime?

The "Right to Disconnect" isn't as rigid as a "5 pm - 9 am Disconnect Blackout". [Lieu Time](../How-we-work/holidays.md#lieu-days) is available when you exceed your regular weekly working hours, and this is when you would disconnect.

### Am I expected to have Hypha email, Element, etc, connected to my personal devices?

No, (with one exception shared below) you are not expected to have work-related apps on your phone or other devices. If you do, you are encouraged to log out or use time-blocking software or other creative solutions to block notifications of communications that may come through outside your work hours.

The exception is that you are required to have your Signal account set up on your personal device in case of emergencies. The Signal Emergency channel - "hyphacoop (Emergency Channel)" – will only be used in the case of an emergency. If you have the Signal app on your phone for other purposes, you can mute all channels other than the Emergency channel.

### What if there's a work-related emergency?

In the case of a true emergency that cannot be handled by anyone else or at any other time, someone at Hypha may contact another team member via Signal outside of their working hours. [Lieu Time](../How-we-work/holidays.md#lieu-days) is available to make up for these emergencies, and you can disconnect from work during these periods of time off.

### A client requires me to be "on-call" and responsive to a pager outside of my regular working hours. How does this policy apply to this circumstance?

Like Hypha's emergency Signal channel, [Lieu Time](../How-we-work/holidays.md#lieu-days) is available to make up for time worked outside of your regular hours.

### How can I help my team members disconnect from their work outside their working hours?

So glad you asked!

- If a team member has blocked off time in their calendar for a PTO day, a break, or personal matters, respect their boundaries by refraining from scheduling meetings, sending messages, or expecting quick replies during those times.
- Model and encourage taking time away, like suggesting a team break or reminding others about the importance of stepping away from screens.
- If someone reaches out to you after their hours or during their PTO (even if you're still working), keep your responses concise or defer non-urgent matters until the next working day. This shows respect for their time off.

## Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed annually and updated as needed to ensure continued compliance with employment standards and best practices for work-life balance.