Australia To Pass A ‘Right to Disconnect’ Law That Protects from Pushy Bosses

Is your boss expecting you to always be on call? Or maybe your entire workplace is so toxic, the lines between the office and personal time don’t exist and coworkers text you nonstop?

If you live in Australia, you might soon be protected thanks to a new ‘Right to disconnect’ bill that will help workers have a better work-private life balance.

Seattle Times reports that this is the first country outside of European nations to pass such legislation – hopefully it won’t be the last!

From their report:

“When it’s after hours, and the boss is on the line, Australian workers — already among the world’s best-rested and most personally fulfilled employees — can soon press “decline” in favor of the seductive call of the beach. In yet another buttress against the scourge of overwork, Australia’s Senate on Thursday passed a bill giving workers the right to ignore calls and messages outside of working hours without fear of repercussion. It will now return to the House of Representatives for final approval.

The bill, expected to pass in the House with ease, will let Australian workers refuse “unreasonable” professional communication outside of the workday. Workplaces that punish employees for not responding to such demands could be fined. “Someone who is not being paid 24 hours a day shouldn’t be penalized if they’re not online and available 24 hours a day,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said at a news conference Wednesday”.

Right now, similar laws exist in France, Germany, Belgium and Italy, and the European Parliament wants to adopt legislation for the entire region.

Also read: Bye, WFH: The Number of People Working From Home Drops To Lowest Since the Pandemic

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