The legislation approved in February exempts employees from being required to monitor, read, or react to messages from their employers during non-working hours. This action links Australia with numerous European countries, including France and Germany, that have previously passed similar legislation allowing employees to withdraw from work-related contacts.
Despite the positive reception from employee advocacy groups, the law faced criticism from employer associations during its passage through Parliament. Critics argued that the legislation was hastily formulated and contained significant flaws.
The new law does, however, include provisions for certain situations where an employee’s refusal to engage may be deemed unreasonable. Factors such as the employee’s role, the nature of the contact, and the method of communication will be considered in determining the appropriateness of off-hours engagement.
As employees prepare to embrace this new right, the focus will turn to how organization’s will adapt to the changing landscape of work communications and employee expectations.
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Source: BT
