Michigan bill would bar after‑hours employer communications

The Michigan Workplace Boundaries Act would prohibit employers from requiring employees to be reachable for work‑related messages outside scheduled work hours [CBS News]. The bill, introduced in the state Senate and pending as of June 28 2026, aims to codify a “right to disconnect” for workers in the state.

If enacted, the law would sit alongside similar statutes in New York and California that already limit after‑hours employer contact [CBS News]. For engineering teams that run on‑call rotations, the measure would compel a redesign of scheduling practices so that staff are not obligated to respond to incidents after their shift ends. Companies would need to document clear communication policies and enforce them consistently, shifting the burden of compliance onto product and HR teams.

The act also raises a compliance question for software providers whose platforms enable push notifications or automated alerts. Those tools would have to be configurable to respect employees’ off‑hour boundaries, or risk facilitating violations of the new rule.

Violations could trigger civil penalties under Michigan’s labor code, giving workers a legal avenue to challenge unwanted contact. Advocates say the law will curb burnout and improve work‑life balance, while some business groups warn it could hamper rapid incident response in critical infrastructure sectors.