For those of us still working, getting a call, text or email from your boss after hours or on the weekend is a good way to ruin your day. At best it’s probably a request for more work and at worst … well it’s not worth thinking about.
But from yesterday, if you work for a business that employs 15 people or more, you are legally allowed to ignore those communications until business hours resume.
Employees now have the right to refuse contact outside of their working hours, along with the right to refuse to monitor, read or respond to contact from an employer or third party.
There are a few exceptions, including people being paid to be on-call and higher-level managers. The Fair Work Commission encourages any disputes over the rules to be handled in the workplace, but if they can’t then the tribunal will take the employee’s level of authority into account.
The response to the changes has been predictably mixed. On one side, most workers would be happy with the changes since its aiming to give back some work-life balance. But on the other, employers are lamenting the effect they may have on productivity and workplace culture.
The reactions also seem to split along generational lines. News.com.au found social media responses from younger people were generally favourable, but older people were generally against, with some pretty angry reactions.
There were many accusations of younger workers being “lazy” thrown around, along with claims the changes would make Australia a more difficult place for businesses to operate.
“Why would you bother having a business and employing people. Too many rules too much unionism, too many lazy workers who want money for nothing. May as well work solo,” one social media user said.
What are your thoughts? Should employees have the right to get away from their employers for a while? Or do the demands of the business come first?
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