{"id":632874,"date":"2024-08-31T18:30:01","date_gmt":"2024-08-31T15:30:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/australians-now-have-the-right-to-disconnect-but-how-workplaces-react-will-be-crucial\/"},"modified":"2024-08-31T18:30:01","modified_gmt":"2024-08-31T15:30:01","slug":"australians-now-have-the-right-to-disconnect-but-how-workplaces-react-will-be-crucial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/australians-now-have-the-right-to-disconnect-but-how-workplaces-react-will-be-crucial\/","title":{"rendered":"#Australians now have the right to disconnect, but how workplaces react will be crucial"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3a97496b3fa\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3a97496b3fa\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/australians-now-have-the-right-to-disconnect-but-how-workplaces-react-will-be-crucial\/#Companies_need_to_get_things_right_at_the_start\" >Companies need to get things right at the start<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/australians-now-have-the-right-to-disconnect-but-how-workplaces-react-will-be-crucial\/#Employers_should_lead_by_example\" >Employers should lead by example<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2023\/texting-1.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2023\/texting-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Credit: Pixabay\/CC0 Public Domain\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2023\/texting-1.jpg\" alt=\"texting\" title=\"Credit: Pixabay\/CC0 Public Domain\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                Credit: Pixabay\/CC0 Public Domain<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>From Monday August 26, many employees in Australia get a new right, called the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fwc.gov.au\/documents\/resources\/right-to-disconnect-fact-sheet.pdf\">right to disconnect from work<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>                                                                                                                                    This entails the right to refuse to read or respond to work-related calls, texts and emails outside their working hours, unless that refusal is unreasonable.<\/p>\n<p>The Fair Work Commission says <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=vNFf-GN_DDw\">what will matter<\/a> is whether the refusal is unreasonable, rather than whether the attempted contact is unreasonable.<\/p>\n<p>Among the things that will determine whether a refusal is unreasonable are the employee&#8217;s role, their personal circumstances, the method and reason for the contact, how much disruption it causes them and whether they are compensated for being available or for working additional hours.<\/p>\n<p>Those working for small businesses (with fewer than 15 employees) get the right to disconnect in August 2025.<\/p>\n<p>As with any changes to conditions of employment, it has sparked <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.afr.com\/work-and-careers\/workplace\/business-fights-back-against-right-to-disconnect-from-work-20231220-p5esol\">heated debate<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Supporters say the right to disconnect is needed to slow the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/futurework.org.au\/post\/right-to-disconnect-essential-as-devices-intrude-into-workers-lives\/\">encroachment<\/a> of work into personal life. Opponents say it will harm <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.afr.com\/politics\/disconnect-laws-will-harm-flexibility-productivity-afr-readers-20240218-p5f5tj\">productivity and flexibility<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>                                                                                                        <!-- TechX - News - In-article --><\/p>\n<p>                                                                                                                                            Fortunately, we&#8217;ve clues from overseas to guide us.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.unsw.edu.au\/newsroom\/news\/2024\/03\/right-to-disconnect--will-it-work--and-what-does-it-mean---\">France<\/a> was the first country to introduce a right to disconnect in 2017, followed by Belgium, Italy, Argentina, Chile, Luxembourg, Mexico, Philippines, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Ontario in Canada, and Ireland.<\/p>\n<p>An analysis of these laws and their impact, which we are preparing for the <i>Journal of Industrial Relations<\/i>, finds that while they can improve work-life balance and well-being, their success depends on how they are implemented and enforced <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/op.europa.eu\/en\/publication-detail\/-\/publication\/055426cd-200c-11ec-bd8e-01aa75ed71a1\">within each workplace<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Employers that take right to disconnect laws seriously offer more <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eurofound.europa.eu\/en\/publications\/2023\/right-disconnect-implementation-and-impact-company-level\">compensation<\/a> to those who are interrupted than companies that don&#8217;t, in the form of pay or time off in lieu. Unpaid overtime is significantly more common in companies without a right to disconnect policy.<\/p>\n<p>In the countries that have a right to disconnect, only about 45% of workers say they are aware of it being offered in their workplace, and only about half of them say they are aware of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eurofound.europa.eu\/en\/publications\/2023\/right-disconnect-implementation-and-impact-company-level\">actions to enforce it<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"mb-4\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\">\n    <meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"Australians now have the right to disconnect, but how workplaces react will be crucial\"\/><br \/>\n    <meta itemprop=\"url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch\/?v=vNFf-GN_DDw\"\/><br \/>\n    <meta itemprop=\"description\" content=\"Fair Work Commission.\"\/><br \/>\n    <meta itemprop=\"uploadDate\" content=\"2024-08-26T05:52:31-04:00\"\/><br \/>\n        <meta itemprop=\"embedUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vNFf-GN_DDw\"\/><br \/>\n    <meta itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/vNFf-GN_DDw\/maxresdefault.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>             <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Understanding the new right to disconnect\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vNFf-GN_DDw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up mt-4\" itemprop=\"caption\">Fair Work Commission.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><b>What matters is agreement in the workplace<\/b><\/p>\n<p>In some countries, including France, the law requires that employers and employee representatives come together to negotiate specific rules about when work should stop and personal time should begin.<\/p>\n<p>This means that in France, there are often clear agreements about when workers can ignore emails or calls.<\/p>\n<p>In Belgium, instead of making it mandatory for companies to enforce the right, the law encourages discussions about it in health and safety committees. So, while there isn&#8217;t a strict rule forcing companies to ensure workers can disconnect, there is a system in place to have conversations about it.<\/p>\n<p>What each country has in common is the idea that employers and employees need to work together to find a balance between work and personal time.<\/p>\n<p>This suggests that merely introducing legislation is not enough: effective implementation requires clear guidelines, awareness-raising, and a cultural shift <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/op.europa.eu\/en\/publication-detail\/-\/publication\/f56e14ae-f2f7-11ee-8e14-01aa75ed71a1\/language-en\">within workplaces<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Companies_need_to_get_things_right_at_the_start\"><\/span>Companies need to get things right at the start<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A key challenge in Australia will be to make clear what is a &#8220;<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fwc.gov.au\/about-us\/news-and-media\/news\/right-disconnect-draft-modern-award-term-published\">reasonable<\/a>&#8221; refusal of a work-related contact and what is not.<\/p>\n<p>The Fair Work Commission wants employers and employees to attempt to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fwc.gov.au\/documents\/resources\/right-to-disconnect-fact-sheet.pdf\">resolve this themselves<\/a> before escalating disputes to the Commission.<\/p>\n<p>An important part of this is consultation <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/europeanlawinstitute.eu\/fileadmin\/user_upload\/p_eli\/Publications\/Guiding_Principles_Workers_Right_to_Disconnect.pdf\">within workplaces<\/a> at the beginning to develop <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eurofound.europa.eu\/en\/publications\/2023\/right-disconnect-implementation-and-impact-company-level\">training<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.apsc.gov.au\/initiatives-and-programs\/workplace-relations\/guidance-right-disconnect-public-sector\">protocols<\/a> tailored to each role.<\/p>\n<p>There are also practical steps workplaces can take to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/hbr.org\/2022\/09\/christine-vs-work-how-to-deal-with-nonstop-notifications-at-work\">curb the flow<\/a> of work-related information, such as disabling notifications after hours, setting up automatic out-of-office replies and scheduling emails rather than sending them im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>tely.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Employers_should_lead_by_example\"><\/span>Employers should lead by example<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The biggest challenge will be a cultural shift that prioritizes employee well-being. Hyperconnectivity need not be an <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full\/10.1177\/1461444817711449\">inevitable consequence<\/a> of modern work life.<\/p>\n<p>Managers should <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/hbr.org\/2020\/06\/managers-encourage-your-team-to-take-time-off\">lead by example<\/a> by respecting non-work hours themselves and avoiding after-hours communication.<\/p>\n<p>The continued existence of the new right is far from certain. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has promised to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/2024\/feb\/11\/coalition-would-overturn-right-to-disconnect-legislation-dutton-says\">repeal the right<\/a> if he wins the next election, saying it will make it impossible for some businesses to employ staff.<\/p>\n<p>Success will depend on employers and their workers agreeing on clear ground rules from the beginning.<\/p>\n<div class=\"d-inline-block text-medium my-4\">\n                                                Provided by<br \/>\n                                                                                                    The Conversation<br \/>\n                                                                                                        <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"icon_open\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\"><br \/>\n                                                        <svg>\n                                                            <use href=\"https:\/\/techx.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v2\/img\/svg\/sprite.svg#icon_open\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\"\/>\n                                                        <\/svg><br \/>\n                                                    <\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"article-main__note mt-4\">\n                                                This article is republished from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/australians-now-have-the-right-to-disconnect-but-how-workplaces-react-will-be-crucial-237023\">original article<\/a>.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/237023\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\"\/>\n                                            <\/p>\n<p>                                        <!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>                                                <strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n                                                Australians now have the right to disconnect, but how workplaces react will be crucial (2024, August 31)<br \/>\n                                                retrieved 31 August 2024<br \/>\n                                                from https:\/\/techxplore.com\/<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>\/2024-08-australians-disconnect-workplaces-react-crucial.html<\/p>\n<p>                                            This document is subject to copyright. 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This entails the right to refuse to read or respond to work-related calls, texts and emails outside their working hours, unless that refusal is unreasonable. The Fair Work Commission says what will&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":632875,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2023\/texting-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-632874","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/632874","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=632874"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/632874\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/632875"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=632874"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=632874"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=632874"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}