The right to disconnect in Australia is now guaranteed by law

The law that allows workers not to respond to emails and phone calls from bosses outside of the normal work shift officially comes into force.

• From 26 August the law on the right to disconnect for workers comes into force in Australia:they may not respond to superiors unless on duty.
• In the event of disputes with employers, the national Fair Work Commission will decide on individual cases.
• Australian workers work an average of 281 hours of unpaid overtime each year.

Australia has introduced a new law that recognizes the right to disconnect, which officially goes into effect today, August 26, offering significant relief to workers who feel obligated to respond to calls or messages from their supervisors even after working hours.There new legislation allows employees to ignore such communications if they wish without fear of retaliation from superiors.

The measure on the right to disconnect was welcomed by organizations representing workers, who underlined how this law could “empower workers to refuse unreasonable work contact outside working hours, promoting a greater balance between work and private life", as stated by theAustralian Council of Trade Unions.

So says the law on the right to disconnect

The law on right to disconnect does not prohibit employers from contacting employees after working hours.However, it gives workers the right not to respond unless their refusal is considered unreasonable.According to the new rules, in case of conflict, the parties should try to resolve the issue independently.If an agreement is not reached, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) of Australia.The FWC has the power to order the employer to stop contacting the employee outside working hours.On the other hand, if the commission believes that the employee's refusal to respond is unreasonable, it can order them to respond.Failure to comply with FWC directives can result in fines of up to 19,000 Australian dollars (around 12 thousand euros) for an employee and up to 94 thousand Australian dollars (more or less 57 thousand euros) for a company.

The possible impact on work and companies

According to a survey published last year, Australians are working on average 281 hours of unpaid overtime per year.The new law aims to reduce this pressure, promoting a better work-life balance and, consequently, improving the general well-being of workers.

John Hopkins, working environment expert at the Swinburne University of Technology, interviewed by the BBC, highlighted that the new rules could also benefit employers.“Any organization that has staff with better rest and work-life balance will have staff who are less likely to be absent due to illness or leave the organisation,” he explained.The concept is quite simple:anything that brings benefits to the employee automatically brings benefits also for the employer.Australia joins more than 20 countries, mainly in Europe and Latin America, which have adopted similar rules for the right to disconnect.