Australian 'Right to Disconnect' Law Allows Workers to Ignore After-Hours Emails and Calls

Mar. 15, 2025

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Australian workers can now (legally) enjoy their time out of the office guilt-free.

The new “right to disconnect” law allows employees the right to ignore off-hours emails and calls without fear of being punished, according toReutersand theBBC.

“The right to disconnect protects employees who refuse to monitor, read or respond to contact or attempted contact outside their working hours, unless their refusal is unreasonable," per theFair Work Commission.

“If there is a dispute about an employee’s right to disconnect, employers and employees first need to try to resolve it themselves," according to the FWC. “If they can’t resolve the dispute at the workplace level, they can apply to us at the Fair Work Commission for help.”

The law, which went into effect on Monday, Aug. 26, was passed in February.

Over 20 countries, including many in Europe and Latin America, already have similar rules in place, the BBC reported.

In an interview with Reuters, Australian Rachel Abdelnour, an advertising employee, said she thought the “right to disconnect” law couldn’t have come at a better time.

“I think it’s actually really important that we have laws like this,” Abdelnour said. “We spend so much of our time connected to our phones, connected to our emails all day, and I think that it’s really hard to switch off as it is.”

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However, David Brennan, who works in finance, is doubtful that the law will make a difference.

“I think it’s an excellent idea. I hope it catches on. I doubt it’ll catch on in our industry, to tell the truth though,” he said, perBBC. “We’re well paid, we’re expected to deliver, and we feel we have to deliver 24 hours a day.”

Overall, officials are hopeful about the impact the new law will have.

“It’s so easy to make contact, common sense doesn’t get applied anymore,” Michele O’Neil, president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, told Reuters. “We think this will cause bosses to pause and think about whether they really need to send that text or that email.

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Addedlocal politician Murray Watt, “It’s really about trying to bring back some work-life balance and make sure that people aren’t racking up hours of unpaid overtime for checking emails and responding to things at a time when they’re not being paid.”

source: people.com