Australians will now be able to sign off work without having to be available for contact after hours.
Under new “right to disconnect” laws, employeesnow have the right to refuse calls and emails outside their working hours.
This comes as extra unpaid hours of work are common in Australia and many jobs come with this expectation.
But the right to disconnect is aiming to create limits around this work culture and the so-called ‘digital leash’ of phones, laptops and easily-accessible email – which is said to have gone mad with the pandemic and remote work.
Of course, the boss is not prohibited from calling, but the employee is not obligated to answer.
At present, the law applies to businesses that have more than 15 employees.
Employees of smaller businesses will be able to disconnect after work on August 22, 2025.
The legislation is thin, but it states that if there is a dispute, it has to be first dealt with “at the workplace level by discussions” between workers and bosses, reports the BBC.
Over 20 countries have put in place similar laws, and research has found improved wellbeing and work satisfaction in companies with right-to-disconnect policies.
