Australia has recently introduced the ‘Right to Disconnect’ laws. This progressive shift is designed to protect employees from burnout and ensure a healthy work-life balance by allowing them to disconnect from work-related communications outside of working hours. As a business owner or manager, understanding how to adapt to these changes is crucial not just for legal compliance but also for cultivating a positive culture. 

 

what is this the ‘right to disconnect’ all about? 

The Right to Disconnect laws are all about making sure employees don’t feel pressured to respond to work-related emails, calls, or messages outside their normal working hours—unless it’s part of their job or there’s an emergency.  

It’s designed to set clear boundaries between work and personal life, especially as remote and flexible working create an ‘always-on’ mindset. 

 

how does the ‘right to disconnect’ affect your business? 

At first glance, this seems challenging, especially for industries that rely on round-the-clock availability or have been flexible with work hours. However, with the right approach, businesses can turn this into an opportunity to enhance productivity, morale, and ultimately, success, in simple yet effective ways.  When your team is given the space to recharge, they come back to work more focused and motivated. 

 

here’s 5 ways you can effectively manage these changes within your team:

 

1. review how you communicate

How are you currently communicating and disseminating information? Do you have good boundaries in place or is it a bit relaxed? 

Chat with your leaders/your teams and discuss these boundaries. Brainstorm what works for majority. Set clear expectations about when and how people need to be available, and also consider their role and responsibilities. 

For example, you might decide that non-urgent emails can be dealt with the next day. Leaders are required to demonstrate this behaviour and avoid sending after-hours emails unless absolutely necessary. Or make it clear that some people do choose to work and get tasks done outside of hours [depending on their role], but there is no expectation for people to respond. If it’s an emergency, other means will be used [i.e. phone call/text].

 

2. leverage smart technology + workflows  

With many businesses now operating in a hybrid or remote setup, technology plays a crucial role in managing these boundaries. Platforms like Slack, Teams and email have features that allow you to schedule messages to be sent during working hours. Make use of these tools to ensure that your team doesn’t feel overwhelmed by after-hours notifications. Encourage your team to set their availability status and use the ‘Do Not Disturb’ function outside of work hours. They should be able to turn off notifications and know that this is acceptable.

 

3. flexibility    

Flexibility is so important these days. The challenge is ensuring that flexibility doesn’t translate to constant availability. Clearly communicate that flexible working hours are for the benefit of your employees’ personal needs, and not an opportunity to extend their workday indefinitely. Everyone who works flexible hours may want to share their hours with people via their email signature or by utilising the dnd in their comms channel. Managers need to be across the flexible arrangements and the normal hours worked by their team.

 

4. check in  

The Right to Disconnect laws are ultimately about promoting employee well-being. Keep an eye on team workloads to ensure that staff can realistically complete their tasks during their standard hours. Include questions as part of your 90-day check in cycle to gauge their stress levels, workload, and overall mental health.  Literally ask the question…‘Are you responding or working outside of your usual hours and where is the pressure coming from?’ [This may be self-inflicted, so it’s important to have good dialogue].

 

5. add a policy

Introduce a written policy outlining your position on outside hours communication. Share the policy and organise opportunities for people to be able to ask questions.

While these changes may require some adjustments, for some, simple changes should do the trick. Many businesses already embrace this approach, have etiquette in place and may need to simply review and add a policy to their handbook. If you are a leader who works a certain way which means you do tend to have sporadic hours, consider reviewing and setting clearer boundaries.

Addressing these new laws means you are compliant and perhaps for those of us who ‘burn the candle at both ends’ consider adjusting how we work and creating a culture where it is encouraged to ‘switch off’. 

 

we’re here to help

If you need some help with any of the above, feel free to get in touch with Anna and the team at Bold Advisory here. Alternatively, you can give us a buzz on 1300 BDEPOT. 

 

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