The French can now legally ignore work emails during off hours: France has voted in favor of new legislation that “obliges organisations with more than 50 workers to start negotiations to define the rights of employees to ignore their smartphones,” according to the Agence France-Presse. Labor minister Myriam El Khomri had introduced the bill as a protective measure against “info obesity” and the “‘always-on work culture,” which studies have shown could have negative effects on people’s lives.

“Overuse of digital devices has been blamed for everything from burnout to sleeplessness as well as relationship problems,” the article says. The law, which came into effect on 1 January, is part of a larger initiative by France’s trade unions to amend France’s labor law and give workers more rights and flexibility. Some major corporations in Europe, such as Daimler and Volkswagen, have already taken initiative to reduce messaging during off-hours to avoid burning out their staff. Daimler, for example, lets its staff “have the option to automatically delete all of the emails they receive while they’re away [on vacation]. The people who try to reach them will be sent what the company calls a ‘Mail on Holiday’ response letting them know that their message will be deleted and giving them the contact information of a supervisor if it is urgent.