Allowing workers to ignore messages from their bosses out of business hours could have widespread benefits, but business groups are concerned about how the “right to disconnect” will work.
Australians can refuse to monitor, read or respond to work communication outside of paid hours, unless doing so is unreasonable, after the government’s workplace reforms came into effect on Monday.
High school teacher Jacob Betts says the changes will help improve his work-life balance after the pandemic exacerbated unpaid out-of-hours work.
“What it allows us to do is make sure we actually look after our wellbeing,” he told reporters in Canberra.
“Once we’re looked after and our wellbeing is looked after, we will do a great job for these kids.”
Service workers such as Lizzy Grant, who would spend hours checking her phone for last-minute roster updates and responding to emails from her boss, are expected to benefit from the reduction in unpaid hours.
Ms Grant switched from working full-time in the public sector to part-time in airline customer service because she wanted to spend more time taking care of her elderly mother and watching her grandchildren grow up.
But a “restless” Ms Grant found her 20-hour week would often balloon to a 40-hour workload as she constantly replied to emails and texts about technical airline issues such as dangerous goods and load controls.
The reforms would provide benefits across the economy, Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt said.
“Workplaces that are adopting these types of practices are reaping the benefits in happier employees, they’re keeping retention of their staff and that’s a good thing for productivity,” he told reporters in Canberra.
But it could be expected a worker would respond to bosses during an emergency situation or for highly paid senior employees to return calls, Senator Watt said.
Business groups and the coalition cast doubt on what the term “unreasonable” means.
“It isn’t going to spark a conversation, it’s actually wrapping employers up in additional red tape and making some jobs completely unworkable,” opposition finance spokeswoman Jane Hume said.
“Adding more rights for workers for something that is just part of a normal working relationship is unreasonable, particularly for small businesses here, who just need to go and get the job done.”
The government’s reforms also improve rights for gig workers and provisions for casual employees to transition into permanent employment.
The changes put Australia’s competitiveness at risk, Business Council of Australia chief executive Bran Black says.
“At a time when productivity has flatlined and insolvencies are increasing, we can’t risk making it harder to do business with added red tape,” he said.
Senator Watt accused critics of “scare campaigning”.
“It’s in employers’ interests to look after their staff,” he said.
“Respecting the boundaries between work and private life is an important way that employers can make sure they have good retention of their staff and have happy, productive staff for a long time to come.”
