Sydney: While in many places employees dream of finding a balance between their personal and professional lives, in Australia employees will have the legal right to ignore their bosses outside of work hours from Monday.
The “Right to Disconnect” law, introduced in February, allows employees to refuse to monitor, read or respond to contact from their employers outside of working hours.
The rule was passed to ensure that employees enjoy their personal lives and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
In addition to Australia, Germany, France and several other European Union countries allow employees to turn off their mobile phones and not be disturbed by their bosses outside of their scheduled working hours.
Criticism of the ‘right to disconnect’
Earlier this year, when the law was passed by Parliament, it faced backlash from several employer groups, who called it rushed and flawed. They are concerned that it could lead to confusion or challenges in certain industries where communication outside of working hours might be necessary.
The law allows for certain exceptions where an employee’s right to refuse contact could be considered unreasonable. This could depend on their role, the reason for the contact, and the manner in which it is made, among other factors.
These exceptions are intended to protect the needs of both employees and employers by ensuring that essential communications are not hindered.
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose.
We respect the intellectual property rights of content creators. If you are the owner of any material featured on our website and have concerns about its use, please contact us. We are committed to addressing any copyright issues promptly and will remove any material within 2 days of receiving a request from the rightful owner.