From today, Australian small business employees will have the legal right to ignore work calls, emails and messages outside their contracted hours – unless the contact is deemed ‘reasonable.’
The Right to Disconnect legislation, which came into effect last year for most employees, is a legal provision in Australia that enables employees to refuse to monitor, read, or respond to work-related communications outside their designated working hours.
The right to disconnect is a significant step towards ensuring that employees in Australia can maintain a healthy boundary between their work and personal lives, ultimately contributing to their overall well-being.
But CEO of the Small Business Association of Australia Anne Nalder told Yahoo Finance she’s concerned about how it might impact the industry adding there could be complications for those who are casuals, as there are times when someone is sick and cannot report for work, resulting in the employer having to call an employee potentially after hours.
