It’s been one year since the ‘right to disconnect’ law came into effect.
How are workers and bosses responding?
The legal ‘right to disconnect’ came into effect in Australia one year ago today.
In a report marking the anniversary, recruitment firm Robert Half said employees at around 250 Australian companies have submitted formal concerns or requests about their new rights in the last year.
The law, which came into effect for large businesses one year ago, gives employees the legal right to “refuse to monitor, read, or respond to” work-related contact outside of hours.
It is now in effect for small businesses.
The law
Early last year, a Senate committee found that some workers were being driven to exhaustion by pressure to be available outside their usual hours.
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In response, the Federal Government passed a law giving workers the explicit right to choose not to respond to “unreasonable contact” outside paid work hours.
Ahead of the anniversary, recruitment company Robert Half surveyed 500 hiring managers at finance, tech, and HR companies.
Here's what was reported:
'Cultural change'
The report’s authors say the findings indicate the new laws have become a “catalyst for cultural change.”
Robert Half director Nicole Gorton said the results reflect efforts from both employees and employers.
“Employees [are] actively embracing the policy to set healthier boundaries after work hours, challenging the ‘always-on’ culture that has become so prevalent,” Gorton said.
