Australia has become the newest country to give employees the “right to disconnect” from work. According to a new law, companies are not allowed to penalize employees for not answering phone calls or responding to emails outside of working hours.
Even though clients or third parties can still contact their staff outside of working hours, workers have the legal right to refuse and respond to work-related matters.
“This new law will provide greater protection to workers regarding workplace conditions, job security, and their ability to balance work and life, as well as stop underpaid wages and Australian workers’ substandard wage cuts and working conditions,” said Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Murray Watt.
France implemented the “right to disconnect” from work emails outside of working hours in 2017. Companies with 50 employees or more are required to negotiate with employee representatives to determine when workers can be contacted. Failure to comply with this rule can result in fines of up to 1% of total worker compensation.
Belgium granted workers the right to ignore work-related messages after working hours as of 2022. Initially applicable only to civil servants, this law was expanded to the private sector for companies with 20 employees or more. Belgian employees also have a four-day workweek.
Portugal has a “right to rest” law that prohibits bosses from contacting employees after working hours. Workers are also entitled to at least 11 consecutive hours of “night rest,” during which they cannot be disturbed except in emergencies.
Spanish employees have the right to disregard digital work-related communication outside of working hours. A national campaign launched by the National Institute for Safety and Health at Work in Belgium has increased awareness of this initiative, highlighting employers’ obligation to facilitate a healthier workplace.
Ireland adopted the Code of Practice on the right to disconnect from the office outside of working hours. This Code gives employees the right not to attend work matters outside of normal working hours and enforces employers’ duty to respect their employees’ right to rest. The Code applies to all forms of work, including remote work.
In Italy, the law specifically applies to remote work. Existing laws stipulate that every remote work agreement must specify rest times and explain the actions required for employees to fully disconnect from work-related gadgets.
This article emphasizes the importance of work-life balance and highlights seven countries that have implemented laws to protect employees’ mental health by allowing them to disconnect from work outside of working hours.
