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21 October 2024

The Right to Disconnect

Provisions under the Commonwealth legislation, Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes No. 2) Act 2023 (passed on 12 February 2024) that relate to the ‘right to disconnect’ came into being in August 2024. The legislation applies to organisations with 15 or more employees from 26 August 2024.  For smaller organisations with fewer than 15 employees, the legislation applies from 26 August 2025. 

What does this legislation mean?

It means that employees have the right to refuse to monitor, read or respond to contact (or attempted contact) outside their working hours, unless doing so is unreasonable. This includes contact (or attempted contact) from an employer or a third party.

While the legislation applies to paid employees, I recommend that volunteers are included in an organisation’s policy if you work with volunteers, as I believe that volunteers should also have the right to disconnect from their voluntary work outside of agreed normal working hours.

How can Peta Williams Consulting help you?

I have written a policy template to cover the provisions under this legislation. While you could, of course, write this yourself, as there are relevant Australian Government fact sheets around, I have taken the need for that research away from you, and can personalise my template specifically for your organisation.

My fee for this personalised policy is at a special price of $120.00 (excluding GST), and will include:

• an initial draft policy
• one 15-minute phone call with you to make the amendments that you require
• the final policy personalised for your organisation.

While I retain the intellectual property for this policy, you will have the right to a permanent, irrevocable, royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to use, reproduce, communicate, and adapt this policy created by me.

If you would like to take advantage of this limited-time offer, please let me know by emailing me by clicking here, or by calling me on 0407 188 121.