Employees will have the right to ignore their superiors after they leave, under new Australian laws that could see abusive bosses face criminal penalties.
The ‘right to disconnect’ is part of a series of changes to industrial relations laws proposed by the federal government under a parliamentary bill.
Lawmakers say it will protect workers’ rights and help restore work-life balance.
While employees currently face disciplinary action or dismissal for ignoring their bosses, the new law will protect their jobs if they do so outside of work hours.
Employers who violate the rule can be fined.
Employees will have the right to ignore their superiors after they log out, under new Australian laws that could see bosses face criminal penalties if they break these rules
Similar laws giving workers the right to turn off their devices are already in place in France, Spain, Ireland and other countries in the European Union.
“What we are simply saying is that someone who is not paid 24 hours a day should not be punished for not being online and available 24 hours a day,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters earlier on Wednesday.
A majority of Australian senators have now expressed support for the legislation, Employment Minister Tony Burke of the ruling centre-left Labor Party said in a statement on Wednesday.
The provision also prevents employees from working unpaid overtime through the right to disconnect after hours without unreasonable contact, Burke said.
The bill is expected to be submitted to Parliament later this week.
The bill also contains other provisions, such as a clearer path from temporary to permanent work and minimum standards for temporary workers and truck drivers.
Some politicians, employer groups and business leaders warned that the right to cut off the facilities was an overreach.
They claim the measure would undermine the move towards flexible working and impact competitiveness.
The ‘right to disconnect’ is part of a series of changes to industrial relations laws proposed by Anthony Albanese’s federal government under a parliamentary bill
Andrew McKellar, the chief executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, criticized the measure, calling it a “stupid idea”.
‘It’s not practical. It won’t be workable,” he said.
Bran Black, the CEO of the Business Council of Australia, said companies could face the law if they are not allowed to send emails to employees operating in Australia’s three different time zones, The Times reported.
The left-wing Greens, who support the rule and were the first to propose it last year, said it was a major victory for the party.
An agreement had been reached between Labour, smaller parties and independents to support this bill, Greens leader Adam Bandt said on Twitter.
“Australians work an average of six weeks of unpaid overtime every year,” Bandt said.
That amounted to more than $92 billion in unpaid wages across the economy, he added.
Right-to-disconnect laws are intended to address the struggle many employees face when quitting work outside of work hours.
It has become especially relevant in the digital age, where people can access their work tools at home on digital devices, including phones and laptops.
The problems became especially apparent for many during the Covid-19 pandemic, when more and more people worked from home, blurring the lines between private and professional lives.
A majority of Australian senators have now expressed support for the legislation, Employment Minister Tony Burke of the ruling centre-left Labor Party said in a statement on Wednesday.
But some countries, such as France, had anti-disconnection laws in place years before the pandemic. Paris passed such a law in 2017 that protects employees from penalties for ignoring messages outside office hours.
In Britain, the opposition Labor party has said it will take similar steps.
If an employer in Australia makes persistent contact outside of office hours, employees will have the power to refer them to the country’s workplace regulator. The Fair Work Commission can then issue a ‘stop’ order and fine bosses who do not comply.
The new laws are expected to be passed by the country’s parliament this week.