Australian law allows workers to ignore after-hrs work calls

Australians yesterday cheered new proposed laws that give workers the right to ignore calls and messages from their bosses outside of work hours, but some business leaders slammed it as overreach.

The "right to disconnect" is part of a raft of changes to industrial relations laws proposed by the federal government under a parliamentary bill introduced in parliament. The bill was passed in the Senate yesterday but will need to go back to the House of Representatives to vote to approve some amendments.

"I think it's a wonderful idea," said Sydney resident Colvin Macpherson. "We all need to relax, we all need to be able to switch off and not be disturbed by emails and phone calls in the middle of the night. Both of my kids are lawyers as well, so they work horrendous hours as it is and you get things coming in at night time," he said.

Similar laws giving employees a right to switch off their devices are already in place in France, Germany and other countries in the European Union.

The bill also includes other provisions like a clearer pathway from temporary to permanent work and minimum standards for temporary workers and truck driver.

However, a joint statement from Australia's chambers of commerce urged the Senate to carefully reconsider the implications of what it called a "rushed and flawed" legislation.