Australian employees now have the right to ignore work emails, calls after hours
 

Is your boss texting you on the weekend? Work email pinging long after you've left for home?

Australian employees can now ignore those and other intrusions into home life thanks to a new "right to disconnect" law designed to curb the creep of work emails and calls into personal lives.

The new rule, which came into force on Monday, means employees, in most cases, cannot be punished for refusing to read or respond to contacts from their employers outside work hours.

Supporters say the law gives workers the confidence to stand up against the steady invasion of their personal lives by work emails, texts and calls, a trend that has accelerated since the COVID-19 pandemic scrambled the division between home and work.

"Before we had digital technology there was no encroachment, people would go home at the end of a shift and there would be no contact until they returned the following day," said John Hopkins, an associate professor at Swinburne University of Technology.

"Now, globally it’s the norm to have emails, SMS, phone calls outside those hours, even when on holiday."

Australians worked on average 281 hours of unpaid overtime in 2023, according to a survey, opens new tab last year by the Australia Institute, which estimated the monetary value of the labour at A$130 billion ($88 billion).

The changes add Australia to a group of roughly two dozen countries, mostly in Europe and Latin America, which have similar laws.

Pioneer France introduced the rules in 2017 and a year later fined pest control firm Rentokil Initial 60,000 euros ($66,700) for requiring an employee to always have his phone on.

Rachel Abdelnour, who works in advertising, said the changes would help her disconnect in an industry where clients often have different working hours.

"I think it's actually really important that we have laws like this," she told Reuters. "We spend so much of our time connected to our phones, connected to our emails all day, and I think that it's really hard to switch off as it is."

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australian-employees-now-have-right-ignore-work-emails-calls-after-hours-2024-08-25/

Comprehension

What is the main purpose of Australia's new "right to disconnect" law?
When did the new "right to disconnect" law come into force in Australia?
According to the new rule, what are employees allowed to do regarding work-related contacts outside of work hours?
How has the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the division between home and work, according to the article?
What was the estimated value of unpaid overtime work done by Australians in 2023?
How does Australia's new law compare to similar laws in other countries?
What was the fine imposed on the pest control firm Rentokil Initial in France, and why was it fined?
How does Rachel Abdelnour feel about the new law, and why does she think it's important?

Discussion

How do you think the "right to disconnect" law will impact work-life balance for Australian employees?
What challenges might employers face in implementing and respecting the "right to disconnect" law?
Do you think this law should be adopted globally? Why or why not?
How has technology blurred the lines between work and personal life, and what steps can individuals take to manage this balance?
What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of having a "right to disconnect" law in industries where clients or colleagues may operate in different time zones?
How might the new law influence productivity and job satisfaction among employees?
In what ways could the "right to disconnect" law change the dynamics between employers and employees?
How can companies encourage a culture of respecting work-life boundaries without needing a law to enforce it?
What role do you think the COVID-19 pandemic played in accelerating the need for such a law?
How do you think the law will affect industries where being available outside of standard work hours is often considered essential?

Vocabulary

Intrusions - Unwelcome interruptions into someone's private life or affairs.
Curb - To restrain or keep in check.
Encroachment - The gradual intrusion or invasion into a space or area, often referring to something unwanted.
Pioneer - To be the first to develop or introduce something new.
Scrambled - To mix up or alter something, often in a hurried or disordered way.
Unpaid Overtime - Work done beyond the standard hours without additional pay.
Globally - In a way that relates to the whole world.
Disconnect - To detach or separate from something, particularly from a continuous or ongoing activity like work.
Monetary - Relating to money or currency.
Division - The separation between different areas, such as work and personal life.