How to Disconnect from Work

How to disconnect from work:

Step 1: Invite your whole team to this panel discussion.

Step 2: Get away from your desk and find somewhere comfy to sit for an hour.

Step 3: Listen to our panelists share their thoughts, experience, and advice on what work is, why we need breaks from it, and how we can help each other unplug.

Step 4: Talk about it with your colleagues!

About the panel

The Ontario Working for Workers Act (2021) defines disconnecting from work as, “not engaging in work-related communications, including emails, telephone calls, video calls or the sending or reviewing of other messages, so as to be free from the performance of work.” But “disconnecting from work” is much broader than that and our understanding of what work means to people and what work looks like has shifted over the last few years.

Join our four panelists for a discussion about the role of managers in protecting and supporting work-life balance, "right to disconnect" legislation and guidelines, leveraging technology, and the day-to-day things we can all do to set ourselves up for good work-life boundaries, and protect ourselves and each other from overwork.

We particularly encourage supervisors and other leaders to attend this session.

Meet the panelists

• Vanya Gnaniah, Undergraduate Career Advisor, Centre for Career Development; and International PhD Candidate, Department of English Language and Literature
• Sarah Landy, Administrative Officer, Systems Design Engineering
• Melissa Ireland, Director, Indigenous Relations
• John Fedy, Manager, Learning and Development, Organizational & Human Development
• Moderator: Laura McDonald, Communications Officer, UW Staff Association