Australia to Enforce 'Right to Disconnect' Law from 26th
Prohibiting Contact Outside Working Hours...Implemented in Over 20 Countries
From the 26th, a law protecting workers' 'right to disconnect' will be enforced in Australia.
According to foreign media including BBC and Reuters on the 26th, Australia will implement the right to disconnect law starting that day. This law was introduced to prevent workers' personal lives from being infringed upon by emails, text messages, phone calls, and other communications from the workplace after working hours. Australia plans to impose fines of up to 19,000 Australian dollars (approximately 17 million KRW) on employees and up to 94,000 Australian dollars (approximately 85 million KRW) on companies for violations.
According to a survey by the Australian Institute's Centre for the Future of Work last year, Australian workers averaged 281 hours of unpaid overtime in the same year. When converted into wages, the additional work is estimated to be worth 130 billion Australian dollars (approximately 88 billion USD). This is interpreted as becoming more frequent due to the activation of remote work after COVID-19. Assistant Professor Johns from Swinburne University of Technology said, "Before digital technology existed, people would go home after their shifts and have no contact until they returned the next day," adding, "Now, workers worldwide have to respond to emails and text messages and take calls even while on vacation."
However, the right to disconnect law allows employers to contact workers in emergencies and for positions with irregular working hours. Workers can refuse to respond only for reasonable reasons. The Fair Work Commission (FWC), Australia's industrial tribunal, will determine whether the refusal is justified, considering the employee's role, personal circumstances, the manner and reason for the contact.
The Australian Industry Group, an employers' organization, has opposed the law. They argued, "The ambiguity of the rules will cause confusion between supervisors and workers, reduce job flexibility, and ultimately lead to economic slowdown." A representative of the Australian Industry Group told Reuters, "This law was made absurdly, both literally and figuratively," criticizing that "it was introduced with almost no consultation on its practical effects and gave employers little time to prepare."
Meanwhile, more than 20 countries, including those in Europe and Latin America, have already enacted laws prohibiting contact outside working hours. France proactively introduced such a law in 2017. The following year, Rentokil Initial, a pest control company that forced employees to keep their phones on at all times, was fined about 60,000 euros.
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