[cjbprime]

This is somewhat cultural: it would not be considered unacceptable in many startups in the US, where I am right now.

But your username and grammar make me wonder whether you're French and in France, are you? If you are, I think it may actually be an illegal request. European attitudes towards work are extremely different to US ones, which are themselves more relaxed than e.g. East Asian.

From https://newatlas.com/right-to-disconnect-after-hours-work-em... :

==

"France, in particular, has been ahead of the world in establishing legal frameworks protecting a person's right to disconnect. Back in 2001 the idea was first floated when the French Supreme Court ruled that employees are under no obligation to bring work home, and as technology progressed the Court continued to update its ruling. In 2004, for example, it was established that it was not misconduct if an employee was not reachable on a smartphone outside of work hours.

The right to disconnect was solidified at the beginning of 2017 with France introducing the El Khomri law, which suggests every employee contract must include a negotiation of obligations required of an employee regarding how connected they are outside of office hours. The law is reasonably vague and doesn't restrict after-hours work communication, but rather obliges organizations to negotiate these terms clearly with prospective employees."

[bouchardm]

Haha you almost got me, french yes, france no: Québec Canada :)

I will look up the law to be sure !

[ozychhi]

In my opinion, law is a bit irrelevant here. You should know what you want to do, if you don't want to do it then decline and see how it goes; If you feel like doing it accept it. Do not let those small details alter your aspirations, in the end all it matters is what you want to do. You are obviously skilled enough to find another job, so do not be afraid to stand up for yourself.

[carlescere]

I think this is a bit of a narrow view. Even if I probably do what you say and decline it myself, personal circumstances will vary. I think law here is relevant since it is the minimum that the company will have to uphold and your case to decline will be stronger. You are right in that each person should think about what they want, but they should also balance it with their circumstances.

[calyth2018]

I'm not a lawyer / Je ne suis pas avocat:

https://www.cnt.gouv.qc.ca/conges-et-absences/vacances/vacan...

It says you're supposed to be able to take your vacation uninterrupted. You might want to check with them.

[olalonde]

I'd say it's a perfectly reasonable request given that you manage over a third of the company. But I wouldn't be surprised if there was a law against it in Québec... worth finding out and informing the CEO if there is.

Is this a matter of principle for you or were you planning to go to some remote are with no Internet? If the latter, you could just explain the situation to your boss and they will probably understand.

[andreasduess]

Hi from another Canadian. Here in Ontario it is illegal to ask employees to perform any work-related tasks while on holiday and I am 99.9% sure the same is true in Quebec (we have an office in Montreal). Whether you wish to enforce that is up to you. We actually ask people to unplug and recharge in my company - it makes for better outcomes long term.

[smcphile]

I’m in France and I’ve lived here for 30 years. What you’ve written is correct.

However here’s the reality: If your employer dislikes you, they can fire you for some false reason. You then take it to court and you win. You will be awarded some amount, and there’s now a legally defined cap on that amount, which the employer knows before they fire you. The amount is roughly one month’s salary for each year worked at the company. And you don’t get your job back.

Of course not all employers use this strategy for various reasons, but it exists as a possibility, so it has to be taken into account when planning what response is in your best interest.