Australia to allow workers to ignore after-hours calls from bosses

[Holy Moe]

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia will introduce laws giving workers the right
to ignore unreasonable calls and messages from their bosses outside of
work hours without penalty, with potential fines for employers that breach
the rule.

The "right to disconnect" is part of a raft of changes to industrial
relations laws proposed by the federal government under a parliamentary
bill, which it says would protect workers' rights and help restore work-
life balance.

Similar laws giving employees a right to switch off their devices are
already in place in France, Spain and other countries in the European
Union.

A majority of senators have now declared support for the legislation,
Employment Minister Tony Burke from the ruling centre-left Labor party
said in a statement on Wednesday.

The provision stops employees from working unpaid overtime through a right
to disconnect from unreasonable contact out of hours, Burke said.

"What we are simply saying is that someone who isn't being paid 24 hours a
day shouldn't be penalised if they’re not online and available 24 hours a
day,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters earlier on Wednesday.

The bill is expected to be introduced in parliament later this week.

The bill also includes other provisions like a clearer pathway from
temporary to permanent work and minimum standards for temporary workers
and truck driver.

Some politicians, employer groups and corporate leaders warned the right
to disconnect provision was an overreach and would undermine the move
towards flexible working and impact competitiveness.

The left-wing Greens, which supports the rule and was the first to propose
it last year, said it was a big win for the party. A deal had been reached
between Labor, smaller parties and independents to support this bill,
Greens leader Adam Bandt said on Twitter.

"Australians work an average of six weeks unpaid overtime each year,"
Bandt said.

That equated to more than A$92 billion ($60.13 billion) in unpaid wages
across the economy, he added.

"That time is yours. Not your boss'."

($1 = 1.5300 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by Praveen Menon; Editing by Jamie Freed)

https://news.yahoo.com/australia-allow-workers-ignore-hours-080534457.html

[Ozix]

Holy Moe wrote:
> SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia will introduce laws giving workers the right
> to ignore unreasonable calls and messages from their bosses outside of
> work hours without penalty, with potential fines for employers that breach
> the rule.

About time. One company I worked for, I would arrive home and get a
phone call to say they forgot some paperwork, and I should check e-mail
and print it out myself.
The extra regulations won't affect them, as they already downsized
considerably due to being useless pricks.

[Borax Man]

That is bad management. I organise my team so that I do NOT need them
outside of their standard work hours and my success as a manager, I
judge by ensuring that the team, when at work, is able to fulfil all
the departments functions. Thats what I get paid to do, to manage
resources, to ensure that skills are adequately distributed and to
plan ahead.

[Fran]

On 10/02/2024 8:24 pm, Ozix wrote:
> Holy Moe wrote:
>> SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia will introduce laws giving workers the right
>> to ignore unreasonable calls and messages from their bosses outside of
>> work hours without penalty, with potential fines for employers that
>> breach
>> the rule.
>
> About time.

Yep.