Photo/Illutration A smartphone screen (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Come to think of it, I have been living a “connected life” since I was issued a pager at my first place of work 35 years ago.

Whatever the hour, the thing would beep if there was an accident or a crime to report on, and off I’d go.

I took this for granted throughout my years in Japan. But after working overseas for a stint, I realized that being on call 24/7 was definitely not the norm.

When I recruited local office staff in Southeast Asia, I was often the one being “interviewed” by my potential hires, who would ask, “I’ve heard Japanese companies make you work long hours, but is this place OK?”

That was long before anyone in Japan began demanding what’s now called “working style reforms.”

At the time, workers in Europe simply left at closing time on the dot, saying to one another, “See you tomorrow.”

In Australia, setting one’s email on “automatic response” was a common practice.

When I requested interviews with government officials or corporate managers by email, I sometimes received automated responses that went something like, “I am currently on holiday. I will not return until such-and-such date.”

In some cases, the return date would be a month later.

Last month, Australia enforced a “right to disconnect” law that allows employees to refuse to answer work-related contact from their superiors or clients after working hours.

Unless the refusal is “unreasonable,” the employees are not penalized. And whether the refusal is unreasonable is determined by factors such as why the contact was made, the problems or confusion caused by the refusal, and the amount of the employee’s remuneration.

According to an Australian acquaintance, public opinion is divided on this law, even among workers. I was told that the majority view is that instead of making employees refuse to answer, managers themselves should be ordered not to contact their subordinates (after working hours).

It appears that it is not easy to refuse to respond, even in Australia where people speak their minds candidly.

The right to disconnect is also spreading widely throughout Europe. Some countries even ban the act of contact itself and fine offenders.

How about discussing a similar law in Japan?

But I insist on a law that forbids superiors to contact their subordinates, not the kind that allows rank-and-file employees to refuse to answer their superiors.

—The Asahi Shimbun, Sept. 11

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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