Australia Working Law Bill Give Employees Right to Disconnect Here’s All Details

Australia’s Senate has recently passed a bill that allows employees to reject office-related calls and messages after working hours without fear of any consequences. This is certainly good news for a large number of employees who have to remain on office-related calls or emails even after their fixed working hours are over. The new bill has worked to increase the rights of employees.

The bill, which is expected to pass smoothly, will return to the House of Representatives for final approval. It gives employees the right to reject “inappropriate” official communications beyond working hours and penalizes non-compliant workplaces.

The New York Times’ Report According to the , Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stressed that those not paid for round-the-clock work should not be penalised for not being consistently available. This is similar to similar legislation in European countries such as France, Germany, Italy and Belgium, which give employees the right to disconnect from work-related communications during off-duty hours.

Certainly, since Covid, companies have assigned more workload to employees in the name of working from remote locations. Social media is filled with such posts every day about how in the name of working from home, they have to remain in meetings or calls even after their fixed working hours are over.

Critics, including business groups and opposition MPs, argue the law is hastily drafted and could hamper productivity. Business Council of Australia CEO Brian Black expressed concerns about potential costs and job losses. Opposition Liberal Party senator Michaelia Cash argued existing legal protections against unfair working hours are sufficient.

Acknowledging the issue of workers’ rights during the pandemic-induced remote work surge, some critics questioned the law’s mechanism, placing responsibility on workers rather than binding employers. Workers in Australia already boast benefits such as annual paid leave, sick leave, long service leave, paid maternity leave and a nationwide minimum wage of about $15 an hour. The country ranks fourth globally for work-life balance, according to the Remote Index, while the United States ranks 53rd with a federal minimum wage of $7.25.

In Australia too, some people are not happy with the new work rules. These include business groups and politicians from the opposition party. They say that the government is moving too fast with this law and this can make it difficult for companies to do their work. Brian Black, CEO of the Business Council of Australia, is worried that this can increase the cost of businesses and lead to the loss of jobs.

Senator Michaelia Cash from the opposition Liberal Party believes the laws we already have in place to protect workers from being overworked are good enough. She doesn’t believe we need this new law.

Critics also say the law puts the onus on workers to protect their rights rather than requiring companies to not contact their employees outside working hours.

Australia already has some great benefits for employees, such as paid time off, sick leave and maternity leave. The minimum wage across the country is around $15 per hour. According to rankings by the global employment platform, Remote, Australia is the fourth best country in the world for a good balance between work and personal life. In comparison, the United States ranks 53rd and has a federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.