'Right to Disconnect' law for Australian Employees will be effective from today!

Highlights: Australia’s new ‘Right to Disconnect’ law for employees, effective from today

• The new ‘Right to Disconnect’ law for Australian employees will be effective from today.
• Employees in Australia can lawfully ignore work-related calls and texts under the new law.
• Australian employees can be held accountable for not responding to work calls after work hours.
• The law aims to facilitate work-life balance and promote productivity among workers.
   

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Australia’s new ‘Right to Disconnect’ law

The Australian Government has introduced the new 'Right to Disconnect' law, which will come into effect today. Under the new law, Australian employees can now lawfully ignore work-related calls and texts after work hours without the fear of being punished. This law aligns with similar laws introduced in twenty other countries and aims to facilitate healthy work-life balance among employees.

Reports state that the new law has given confidence to the workers to stand up against the compulsion of being available for work even after work hours, a trend that had worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the statistical reports by an Australian Institute, the average unpaid working time of Australian employees was 281 hours in 2023. The unpaid overtime labour was estimated to be around A$130 billion.

Exceptions for the ‘Right to Disconnect’ law

Employees in Australia might have to respond to calls and texts in case of emergencies at work and jobs with irregular work hours. Refusal to be available over calls has to be reasonable.

The Fair Work Commission (FWC) will decide if a refusal is reasonable or not.  FWC will consider the job role, personal problems and situations of the employees to determine if the refusal was reasonable. The FWC can cease and charge fines of up to A$19,000 for an employee or up to A$94,000 for a company. This strict law has been implemented to reduce interference in employee’s personal life and promote work life balance.

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