Australians permitted to ignore calls from their bosses
A new law in Australia grants most workers the legal right to disregard work-related calls, emails, and messages while on their time off. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Under a recently enacted law, the majority of Australian employees now possess a legal “right to disconnect” from work-related communications after business hours. This regulation, which came into effect on Monday, applies to individuals employed by companies that have more than 15 employees. These workers may disregard phone calls, emails, and messages from their superiors, colleagues, and clients outside of their scheduled working hours. Smaller businesses have been granted a delay until August 2025 before they must adhere to this requirement.
The measure stops short of completely prohibiting after-hours contact from employers but establishes a legally protected right for employees to overlook such communications unless deemed unreasonable to ignore. Any disagreements arising under this law can be referred to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) in Australia, where the necessary mediation will take place. The FWC is tasked with deciding the appropriacy of the contact attempts, considering the urgency of the issue, the employee’s role, and any offered compensation. Depending on the findings, the FWC may instruct employers to cease contacting workers during their off-hours or mandate a response from the employees, with penalties possible for non-compliance.
This law is part of broader changes to the Fair Work Act in Australia, designed to redefine work-life boundaries and promote a healthier balance. A survey by the Center for Future Work revealed that the average Australian worker puts in about 5.4 hours of unpaid overtime each week, totaling 230 hours annually. This represents an approximate loss of AU$131 billion (US$88 billion) in unpaid wages across the workforce each year.
The legislation was first proposed in February and received a varied reaction initially. Business leaders cautioned that it might disrupt operations and flexible working conditions, while worker’s unions hailed it as a victory for cost-of-living, reducing unpaid labor.
"Today is a historic day for working people," stated Michele O’Neil, president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), on Monday.
“The average person does five to six hours of unpaid work every week. Thanks to the introduction of this new law, Australians can now be paid for those hours of work… More money in your pocket, more time with your loved ones, and more freedom to live your life – that’s what the right to disconnect is all about,” she elaborated.
Australia follows the footsteps of France, which introduced a similar law in 2016, with countries like Belgium, Italy, Spain, and some Latin American nations adopting comparable legislation.
James del Carmen for TROIB News
The measure stops short of completely prohibiting after-hours contact from employers but establishes a legally protected right for employees to overlook such communications unless deemed unreasonable to ignore. Any disagreements arising under this law can be referred to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) in Australia, where the necessary mediation will take place. The FWC is tasked with deciding the appropriacy of the contact attempts, considering the urgency of the issue, the employee’s role, and any offered compensation. Depending on the findings, the FWC may instruct employers to cease contacting workers during their off-hours or mandate a response from the employees, with penalties possible for non-compliance.
This law is part of broader changes to the Fair Work Act in Australia, designed to redefine work-life boundaries and promote a healthier balance. A survey by the Center for Future Work revealed that the average Australian worker puts in about 5.4 hours of unpaid overtime each week, totaling 230 hours annually. This represents an approximate loss of AU$131 billion (US$88 billion) in unpaid wages across the workforce each year.
The legislation was first proposed in February and received a varied reaction initially. Business leaders cautioned that it might disrupt operations and flexible working conditions, while worker’s unions hailed it as a victory for cost-of-living, reducing unpaid labor.
"Today is a historic day for working people," stated Michele O’Neil, president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), on Monday.
“The average person does five to six hours of unpaid work every week. Thanks to the introduction of this new law, Australians can now be paid for those hours of work… More money in your pocket, more time with your loved ones, and more freedom to live your life – that’s what the right to disconnect is all about,” she elaborated.
Australia follows the footsteps of France, which introduced a similar law in 2016, with countries like Belgium, Italy, Spain, and some Latin American nations adopting comparable legislation.
James del Carmen for TROIB News
