Australia grants employees 'right to disconnect' from bosses after work hours

Starting Monday, Australian employees will have the legal right to ignore work-related communications outside their official working hours, following the introduction of a new law enshrining the "right to disconnect."

Passed in February, the legislation safeguards employees who choose not to monitor, read, or respond to contact from their employers outside their designated work hours. This move places Australia alongside several European countries like France and Germany, which have already implemented similar measures to protect workers' personal time.

When the boss doesn¡¯t respect your right to disconnect
by intechnology

Criticism arose from employer groups during the law's progression through parliament earlier this year. They argued that the legislation was rushed and contained flaws that could complicate its implementation.

However, the law does allow for exceptions. In certain situations, such as emergencies or roles with specific responsibilities, an employee¡¯s right to disconnect may be considered unreasonable, depending on the nature of the contact and how it is made.

Understanding the Right to Disconnect

Nowadays, technology has made it possible for people to remain connected in the virtual world all the time. This can be productive as it boosts their performance but it could also ruin employees¡¯ mental health from various negative effects and interfere with work-life balance.

The Right to Disconnect is an effort to shield workers whereby they are allowed not to be part of office conversation after each business day with emphasis laid on breaks as well as having a sound existence between working hours and other aspects of life.

Work and personal lives became more intertwined during COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent transition to remote work.

According to a report by the Centre for Future Work in 2022, 71% of workers who participated in their study often worked more hours than they were expected to, causing weariness, tension, interference with private activities, thus diminishing job fulfillment.

Global Perspective on 'Right to Disconnect'

Australia is not the only country to have implemented this kind of legislation; Belgium and Portugal did it in 2022. In Belgium, as an example, there is a ¡°right to disconnect¡± that is applicable to almost 65,000 federal civil servants, which aims at striking a balance between work and private life while also reducing stress, and burnout as stated by Petra De Sutter.

Also under the Portuguese Labor Code employers are forbidden from contacting employees during their breaks with penalties for non-compliance.

The policies that follow are just some of the steps being taken in Europe. However, Europe has made substantial strides to address these problems whereas; America is still lagging behind. France first introduced the policy regarding right to disconnect in 2016, followed by Italy in 2017, Spain in 2018 and Ireland in 2021.

Also Read: End To After-Hour Manager Calls, Texts: Indian Workers Need 'Right To Disconnect' Now More Than Ever

Moreover, the European Union recognizes the relevance of the right to be disconnected and requests for its declaration as a basic human right.

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