Switching Off From Work Could Become a Legal Right

Ignoring work calls and emails after hours could soon become a legal right as political momentum grows to ensure people can unplug and unwind. A federal parliamentary inquiry has broadly examined workplace laws including the ability of Australians to disconnect. “One aspect of work-life balance that needs to be protected in the modern industrial context is the right to disconnect from our workplaces outside regulated hours,” the Senate committee said in its report. Greens senator and chair Barbara Pocock went further. “Unpaid overtime is ubiquitous, has untold financial, physical, mental and social costs, and demands urgent action through a right to disconnect,” she said....