New Law Allows Australians to Ignore after Hours Work Calls and Emails

Tuesday, August 27, 2024

Australian employees now have the right to ignore their bosses outside working hours thanks to a new law which enshrines the "right to disconnect."

Posted by retort at 05:30 PM | 9 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

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Well it is actually illegal for them to call/email in parts of Europe such as France...

#1 | Posted by GalaxiePete at 2024-08-27 06:29 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 2

I'm for that.

#2 | Posted by Wardog at 2024-08-27 06:34 PM | Reply

So... something I do already.

Co-worker: Why didn't you answer my phone call?

Me: I wasn't working.

#3 | Posted by Nixon at 2024-08-27 06:39 PM | Reply

Seeeeeee... this is what happens when you make voting mandatory for all adults.

#4 | Posted by RightisTrite at 2024-08-27 10:36 PM | Reply

Me: I wasn't working.

#3 | POSTED BY

Easy to say if someones life and or property were not at risk if you don't respond.

#5 | Posted by donnerboy at 2024-08-28 12:38 PM | Reply

I think this is an excellent policy.

#6 | Posted by Whatsleft at 2024-08-28 12:51 PM | Reply

@#5 ... if someones life and or property were not at risk if you don't respond. ...

That's a different scenario. In such a situation, the callee is likely to be "on call," i.e., expecting such calls.

I once got a work call from a drunk-sounding manager at 9:30PM on a Saturday evening. Nothing in the call was that important, it could have waited until he saw me Monday morning.

#7 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-08-28 12:52 PM | Reply

Some of this is already in effect here. If a non-exempt employee is asked to answer a call or email off hours then they are to be paid for their time.

Exempt employees are where this impacts things much more, IMO.

#8 | Posted by eberly at 2024-08-28 01:08 PM | Reply

"Exempt employees are where this impacts things much more"

Yup. Exempt and "essential " employees were impacted the most.

"That's a different scenario. In such a situation, the callee is likely to be "on call," i.e., expecting such calls."

Nope. I was "exempt". And classified as essential. Which had benefits in a government shutdown but was mostly used to not pay us overtime. Being "on call" also required extra pay. Which is why many exempt or essential civil servants are not paid to be "on call". As a "essential" salaried manager I was expected to respond even while off duty. My job was to call an employee (who was also not "on call" and try and convince them to come into work. But if I could not "convince" them (or they wisely did not answer the phone) then I had to respond to the problem myself. If I responded I would get paid for my time. Sometimes. There were rules for that too. Like a 2 hour minimum after 15 minutes etc.

#9 | Posted by donnerboy at 2024-08-28 01:23 PM | Reply