Workers will have the right to ignore their superiors after they leave under new Australian laws that could punish offending bosses with 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 workers currently face disciplinary action or dismissal for ignoring their bosses, the new law will protect their jobs if they do so outside of working hours.
Employers who fail to comply with the rule could be fined.
Workers will have the right to ignore their superiors after they leave under new Australian laws that could see employers face criminal penalties for breaking them.
Similar laws already exist in France, Spain, Ireland and other European Union countries that give employees the right to turn off their devices.
“What we are simply saying is that someone who is not paid 24 hours a day should not be penalized if they are not online and available 24 hours a day,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters earlier on Wednesday.
The majority of Australian senators have declared their support for the legislation, Employment Minister Tony Burke of the ruling center-left Labor Party said in a statement on Wednesday.
The provision also prevents employees from working unpaid overtime through the right to opt out of unreasonable contact outside of work hours, Burke said.
The bill is expected to be introduced in parliament later this week.
The bill also includes 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 corporate leaders warned that the right to switch off provision was an overreach.
They argue the move would undermine progress towards flexible working and hurt 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, chief executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, criticized the move, calling it a “silly idea”.
‘It is not practical. “It’s not going to be viable,” he said.
Bran Black, chief executive of the Business Council of Australia, said companies could get into trouble with 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 big 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 each year,” Bandt said.
That amounted to more than A$92bn (£47.55bn) in unpaid wages across the economy, it added.
Right to disconnect laws aim to address the struggle many workers face when disconnecting from work outside of working hours.
It has become particularly pertinent in the digital age, where people have access to their work tools on digital devices at home, including phones and laptops.
The problems became particularly evident to many during the Covid-19 pandemic, with more people working from home, blurring the line between home life and work life.
The majority of Australian senators have declared their support for the legislation, Employment Minister Tony Burke of the ruling center-left Labor Party said in a statement on Wednesday.
But some countries, like France, implemented disconnection laws years before the pandemic. Paris passed such a law in 2017 that protects workers from being penalized for ignoring messages outside of work hours.
In the United Kingdom, the opposition Labor Party has said it would take similar measures.
In Australia, if an employer persistently engages in out-of-hours contact, workers 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 fail to comply.
The new laws are expected to be approved by the country’s parliament this week.