In a colossal win for every overworked Aussie on the verge of burnout, the Australian Government will be implementing ‘Right To Disconnect’ laws next week. Happy hour just got a whole lot happier.
Picture this: it’s 8:30pm on a Wednesday night. You clocked off work a couple of hours ago, and are now ready to relax at home and watch some Emily In Paris season four. The Ugg boots are on, the roommates are out, and this is your night.
Until… a vibration from your phone penetrates your fortress of comfort. It’s a call from your boss.
You ignore it… until 15 minutes later they call again. Out of fear of retribution at work tomorrow for ignoring a boss, you answer the call. And just like that, your relaxation time with Emily In Paris is over.
In the hyper-connected modern world it can feel almost impossible to truly get away from work. Even when you are aren’t on shift, or on a holiday, work still looms through emails, group chats, and *shudder* Microsoft Teams.
It’s this excessive dedication to working around the clock that has led to Australia’s government implementing a way to protect employees from having their off-hours invaded by work — the right to disconnect laws. ‘Cos there’s nothing more demure and mindful than a healthy work-life balance!
So what exactly are the right to disconnect laws? How do they work, and when do they take effect? Here’s everything ya need to know.
What are the Right To Disconnect laws?
At their core, the right to disconnect laws aim to protect a literal human right.
As Article 24 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights reads: “Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.”
The new laws will make it so that employees can refuse to respond to, or even read, work-related communications (like phone calls, messages, and emails) outside of their work hours, so long as their refusal is reasonable.
Several factors have been set up to determine if an employee’s refusal is reasonable, which include:
- What the boss was contacting the employee to speak about.
- If they are paid/compensated for the after-hours contact.
- Their level of responsibility in the workplace.
- Their personal circumstances, E.G. family responsibilities.
With the hint being in the name, these laws empower workers with the right to disconnect.
Clearly whoever was in charge of naming them didn’t want to work after-hours, and neither should you!
When do the Right To Disconnect laws take effect?
The right to disconnect laws will be implemented nationally as of Monday, August 26, 2024.
The laws will apply to any business with 15 or more employees, and will apply to all industries and awards.
Though there are some differences across industries in terms of exactly what constitutes “disruptive” after-hours contact, generally it gives workers the right to refuse stuff like phone calls from the boss about non-emergency work-related matters.
Australia follows a number of other countries that have implemented similar laws, including Germany, Italy, Canada, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Greece, and many more.
The first country to apply right to disconnect laws was France in January 2017.
More about the exact details of the right to disconnect laws can be found on the Government’s site here.
Are there punishments for bosses who contact after hours?
Notably, the laws do not prevent bosses from contacting workers outside of their regular hours, instead focusing on protecting the worker’s right to refuse disruptive after-hours contact.
Though there are no specific punishments for employers who (like a pesky ex-partner) break your no-contact period, the right to disconnect laws do give workers the ability to lodge a dispute with the Fair Work Commission.
In their most basic form, the goal is to protect workers from being punished in the workplace for not responding to calls or messages when they should be living their non-work lives.
If you wanna keep checking the Microsoft Teams chat after-hours, you are still more than welcome to! Live your best career-driven life.
And if you’re the kind of person who wants to improve your work-life balance, may these laws give all the more power to you!
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m turning my notifications OFF, and Emily In Paris back ON.
[Image: Getty]
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