An new agreement between a group of French employers and unions will protect workers from having to answer work emails out of office hours.

The new rules mean that employers covered by the agreement cannot force staff to check messages or emails after 6pm or before 9am.

France is currently the only country in the world to operate a typical 35-hour working week but thousands of employees in the technology and consultancy sectors including the French branches of Google, Deloitte and PwC work up to 78 hours a week, prompting the “right to disconnect” deal.