Australia grants workers ‘right to disconnect’ after hours
CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA — Australia has joined a growing list of countries implementing a ‘right to disconnect’ law, protecting workers from after-hours work-related communications.
The new legislation, which took effect on Monday for most workers, aims to restore work-life balance and address the issue of unpaid overtime.
The legislation comes in response to growing concerns about the erosion of work-life boundaries, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of remote work.
A 2022 survey by the Centre for Future Work found that seven out of ten Australians performed work outside scheduled hours, often leading to physical tiredness, stress, and anxiety.
Key provisions of the ‘right to disconnect’ law
The law allows employees to refuse to monitor, read, or respond to work-related contact outside their working hours unless their refusal is deemed unreasonable.
While it doesn’t strictly prohibit employers from reaching out after hours, it provides legal protection for workers who choose not to engage.
“It’s really about trying to bring back some work-life balance and make sure that people aren’t racking up hours of unpaid overtime for checking emails and responding to things at a time when they’re not being paid,” said Sen. Murray Watt, Australia’s minister for employment and workplace relations.
Someone who isn’t being paid 24 hours a day shouldn’t be penalised if they’re not available and online 24 hours a day.
Today Labor’s right to disconnect laws come into effect, which protect you from being punished for not being available outside of work hours. pic.twitter.com/kFLTdGRUoO
— Senator Murray Watt (@MurrayWatt) August 25, 2024
Mixed reactions and future implications
While many workers and unions have welcomed the change, not everyone is enthusiastic about the new law. Opposition leader Peter Dutton has pledged to repeal it if his coalition wins the next federal election, citing concerns about productivity and employer-employee relations.
The Business Council of Australia expressed similar reservations, stating that the new workplace laws “risk holding Australia’s historically low productivity back even further at a time when the economy is already stalling.”
Despite these concerns, the 2022 Australia Institute survey found broad support for the right to disconnect, with many respondents citing potential benefits such as improved mental health, job satisfaction, and productivity during work hours.
As Australia implements this significant change, it remains to be seen whether other countries, including the United States, will follow suit in addressing the challenges of maintaining work-life balance in an increasingly connected world.
Some countries across Europe and South America have implemented a similar law. Others are considering the four-day workweek.
