Mayank Malik · 9/28/2026
Canada work laws and the right to disconnect are becoming very important for teams in 2026. Working from home can stop the commute, but it does not mean employees must answer emails, messages or calls at all hours. For employers, the challenge is to set boundaries while keeping the flexibility that makes remote work useful.
The right to disconnect generally means that employees should be able to step away from work-related communication outside of their normal working hours. This can include:
For example, Ontario requires employers with 25 or more employees on January 1 of a year to have a written policy about disconnecting from work. However, having a policy does not automatically allow employees to ignore every message received after work. Other employment rules still apply.
Canada does not have one right-to-disconnect rule that covers every employee. Some workplaces fall under federal employment rules, while others follow provincial or territorial employment standards. Federally regulated industries include banking, telecommunications and certain transportation businesses. This matters for companies because the rules that apply to an employee may depend on the nature of the employer and where the employee works. An international company hiring someone in Canada should therefore avoid assuming that one remote-work policy will work for everyone.
Remote work can make working hours less obvious. Imagine a team where one employee finishes at 5 p.m. but receives a message at 8 p.m. The manager may have sent it simply because that was a convenient time to write it. The employee, however, may feel pressure to respond immediately. This is where clear expectations help. A remote work policy can explain:
A policy does not need to become a 30-page document that everyone carefully avoids opening. It should answer everyday questions. For example, companies can explain that routine emails sent outside working hours do not require a response. Genuine emergencies may have a separate process. Managers should also be encouraged to use scheduled email delivery when a message can wait. Importantly, the written policy should match what actually happens. If a company says employees can disconnect at 5 p.m. but managers regularly ask for work at 9 p.m., the policy and workplace culture are telling two different stories.
Working from home does not mean employment standards disappear. For example, Ontario's employment guidance notes that time spent on work-related activities, including dealing with work emails, can count as working time. This becomes important when employees are regularly expected to work outside their scheduled hours. Employers should therefore review rules around:
Managers have a role in making a disconnecting policy work. A manager might say, "You do not need to answer this tonight." That sounds reasonable. Employees may still feel pressure to respond if late-night messages happen regularly. Managers can create better boundaries by:
Companies hiring remote employees from another country should first understand which employment rules apply. Before hiring, employers should consider:
Before managing a remote team, ask:
Canada work laws and the right to disconnect are becoming an important consideration for remote employers in 2026. The main issue is not about banning communication after working hours. It is about creating clear expectations around when the employee needs to respond and when the employee can simply leave the message for tomorrow. For teams, a good policy should be clear, practical and realistic. Employees should know when they are working, when they are available and when they can properly switch off. After all, remote work was supposed to remove the commute, not turn the laptop into a roommate.