Australia has enacted a new law granting millions of workers the “right to disconnect” from their jobs, allowing them to ignore work-related communication outside of their regular working hours.
According to the AFP, this new regulation, effective from Monday, aims to ensure that employees are not obligated to monitor, read, or respond to any contact from employers after hours, unless refusing to do so is deemed “unreasonable.”
The legislation, similar to laws in some European and Latin American countries, has been welcomed by unions but met with resistance from major industry groups. Michele O’Neil, President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, celebrated the new law, stating, “Today is a historic day for working people.
The union movement has secured the legal right for Australians to spend quality time with their loved ones, free from the stress of answering unreasonable work calls and emails.” She added, “Australian unions have reclaimed the right to disconnect after work.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, whose centre-left Labor government championed the reform, also praised the new law.
Speaking to national broadcaster ABC, he said, “We want to make sure that just as people aren’t paid for 24 hours a day, they don’t have to work 24 hours a day. This is also a mental health issue, allowing people to disconnect from work and connect with their family and personal lives.”
However, the new rules have faced criticism from business leaders. The Australian Industry Group called the “right to disconnect” law “rushed, poorly thought out, and deeply confusing.”
In a statement, the group expressed concern, noting, “At the very least, employers and employees will now be uncertain about whether they can take or make a call out of hours to offer an extra shift.”
The law, originally passed in February, has now come into force for medium-sized and large companies. Smaller businesses, with fewer than 15 employees, will be required to comply from August 26, 2025.
Anna Booth, the Fair Work Ombudsman, encouraged businesses and employees to familiarize themselves with the new law, saying, “We encourage workplace participants to educate themselves on the right to disconnect and apply it with a commonsense approach within their workplace.”
Under the new regulations, both employers and employees may be directed by a tribunal to cease unreasonable behaviour concerning out-of-hours contact.
The Fair Work Ombudsman noted that the reasonableness of such contact would “depend on the circumstances,” including the purpose of the communication, the employee’s role, and whether they are compensated for additional hours or availability.
Australia joins countries like France, which introduced similar legislation in 2017 to combat the “always on” culture facilitated by digital devices.
