Australian Workers to Get 'Right to Disconnect' Laws
Australia has become the latest country to pass a law that gives workers the "right to disconnect."
That has now become a common term, and it means that employees don't need to be online or answering emails and calls outside their normal working hours.
Or, as Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: "Someone who is not being paid 24 hours a day shouldn't be penalized if they're not online and available 24 hours a day."
The idea is to protect the rights of workers and help to give people time for themselves outside of work.
But not all Australian companies and employees are clear on what exactly the law will mean for them.
And although many people see it as good news for workers, some businesses don't like it and some politicians have said they'll change the law if they are elected.
According to law company Herbert Smith Freehills, the new law will mean that workers may refuse to look at, read or reply to contact from their managers outside of working hours, in most situations.
However, bosses will still be able to send emails outside of working hours. But the law is there to protect workers who choose to ignore messages and calls from their company outside of work hours.
Some say that these laws may not actually change much for businesses, since they are just an extension of laws that say companies must show respect to their employees.
Many companies will have to begin following them later in 2024, while small businesses won't have to use them until near the end of 2025.
