Can a boss assign work on holidays? Summary of the latest labor laws along with practical tips. "The art of delaying messages" Psychological tricks for politely refusing work, helping modern workers reclaim their holidays.
A common issue many salaried employees face: when chat notifications pop up on Saturdays or Sundays with urgent instructions from their boss, leading to the lingering question, "Can a boss assign work on holidays?" And as employees, how much can we refuse without negatively affecting our job?
Legally speaking, Thai law has been updated to clearly protect digital-era workers. According to the Labor Protection Act (No. 8) B.E. 2566 [2023], there are key provisions workers should know:
Section 23/1: The right to disconnect communications. The law states that after regular working hours or on employees' days off, employees have the right to refuse any communication—whether by phone, Line, or email—from employers or supervisors unless prior written consent was given.
Section 25: Prohibition of work on holidays. Employers are prohibited from ordering employees to work on holidays unless it's an emergency. If work on holidays is necessary, employers must pay holiday overtime at legally mandated rates.
Summary of legal points:If it is not a serious emergency or there is no prior written consent, the boss "does not have the right" to force employees to work on holidays, and employees "have the right to refuse" lawfully. |
Though the law protects your rights, in real work life, forwarding legal texts to your boss may not be the best way to maintain relationships. Instead, using "the art of delaying messages on holidays" —a communication and expectation management skill—is key to avoiding urgent tasks in a way that "keeps the water clear and the lotus unharmed."
1. Delay strategically: "Don't respond immediately but reply with a solution."
Delaying messages doesn't mean never replying; it means choosing the right time to respond and replacing blunt refusals with proposing a reasonable work delivery time during regular hours.
Sample wording: Reply on Sunday evening or Monday morning. "Hello boss, I just got a chance to check Line due to important personal matters. I've prepared some parts of the report and will urgently finalize and present it to you by 9:00 AM Monday."
2. Use technology as a shield: Focus Mode.
To avoid distractions from notifications, activate Focus Mode on your smartphone to block work app alerts from Friday evening onward. Not reading messages immediately gives you a perfect reason on Monday: "Sorry, I didn't open Line during my day off."
3. Manage expectations in advance starting Friday.
The best prevention is signaling your team ahead of time that you won't be on standby during your days off. For example, before leaving work Friday, you might casually say, "All tasks this week are complete. I'll be out of town with family/personal matters this weekend, so I might be hard to reach. See you Monday." This approach helps reduce your boss's expectations significantly.
Work-life balance is crucial. Knowing your legal rights and communicating tactfully helps modern workers protect their mental health while maintaining good workplace relationships.