Australia to introduce law granting workers the right to ignore emails and calls outside of work hours
Australia's 'right to be disconnected' law, which gives employees the right to refuse to respond to emails and phone calls outside of working hours, comes into force on 26 August 2024.
Right to disconnect - Fair Work Ombudsman
Australia grants workers 'right to disconnect' after hours : NPR
https://www.npr.org/2024/08/26/nx-s1-5089792/australia-right-to-disconnect-workers-respond-after-work
Australian employees now have the right to ignore work emails, calls after hours | Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australian-employees-now-have-right-ignore-work-emails-calls-after-hours-2024-08-25/
The Right to Disconnect Act was passed by Parliament in February 2024 and will come into effect in companies with 15 or more employees from August 26, 2024, and one year later, on August 26, 2025, it will apply to all companies, including those with fewer than 15 employees. While almost all employees are subject to this right, there are a few exceptions, such as some public servants .
Australian Parliament Passes Bill Giving Employees the 'Right to Disconnect' to Ignore Their Manager's Emails Outside of Working Hours - GIGAZINE
Right to disconnect allows employees to refuse to monitor, read, or respond to communications from their employers outside of work hours. As the COVID-19 pandemic blurs the lines between work and personal life, right to disconnect laws 'give employees the confidence to stand up to the continued intrusion of work emails, messages, and calls into their personal lives,' supporters said.
However, the Right to Disconnect Act does not give employees the right to cut off all communication. Rather, it considers a number of factors, including the reason and method of communication, the compensation provided to the employee, and the employee's personal circumstances such as family or caregiving, and in some cases it may be determined that a response is necessary.
With the right to disconnect, Australia becomes the 25th country or region in the world to recognize the right to disconnect. In France, where a similar rule was introduced in 2017, companies that require employees to keep their mobile phones on at all times are fined 60,000 euros (approximately 10 million yen). In Australia, companies can be fined up to 94,000 Australian dollars (approximately 9.2 million yen).
The Australian Industry Group, an employers' group, has expressed concern that the Right to Disconnect law will reduce employment flexibility and ultimately slow the economy, criticising the legislation as having been 'introduced with little consultation about its practical impact'.
Meanwhile, Australian Council of Trade Unions president Michelle O'Neill stressed that the reserve clause in the law will not prevent reasonable communication, highlighting the benefit of preventing workers from having to pay the price for management's lack of planning, such as 'notifying a worker who has finished a late-night shift to start a 6 a.m. shift.'
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