Teams is one of the first apps I check when I wake, after a precursory trawl of Instagram and Twitter (which I read like my morning paper). At 8:30 AM, the good mornings from my colleagues flood in. Before the working day wraps I am constantly switching between my iPhone and my laptop in order to communicate at a timely pace. To keep abreast of any surprises, be it a breaking news story to cover or any updates from the greater team, I need to be on my phone. I am one of millions of Australians who have hybridised their working approach after the changing working models implemented in a post-pandemic and highly digitised world.
It has become the norm to be contactable 'after hours', as a result of the paradigm shift in work culture. Research has confirmed that the contemporary work culture in Australia has led to 'work addiction' and an infeasible work-life balance. Achieving an equilibrium between work and play is critical in balancing career and welfare. A study identified that 52 per cent of Australians rate their work-life balance as 'poor'. As a result, the line between working hours have become increasingly blurred as accessibility is normalised, even after the standard 9-5.
Next week, this will be all set to change, with the implementation of the 'Right to Disconnect laws'.
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When will the law go into motion?
From August 26, laws to disconnect will officially take place in workplaces with 15 or more employees. The law will not restrict managers from contacting employees after close of day. The law follows suit from 25 other countries who have successfully enacted the laws in their own working policies.
How does the enactment affect your workplace?
Employees will have the right to refuse contact outside their working hours unless that refusal is unreasonable. An employee can refuse to monitor, read or respond to contact from an employer or a third party after the law has gone into action. Several factors are considered when an employee opts to refuse contact, including:
- the reason for the contact
- whether the employee is compensated or paid extra for:
- being available to be contacted to perform work within a specific period, or
- working additional hours outside their ordinary hours of work
- the nature of the employee’s role and level of responsibility
- the employee’s personal circumstances, including family or caring responsibilities.
What is next for the future of hybrid working?
A 2023 study by the Centre for Future Work at the Australia Institute estimated Australian workers were on average doing an extra 5.4 hours a week. That tallies up to approximately 280 hours of unpaid time each year, at a cost of $130 billion in annual lost incomes. The implementation of the 'Right to Disconnect' law is the first step in redesigning the norm of work boundaries and excessive communication.
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