Calls for a legal right to disconnect for under-pressure workers

Many Australians are feeling the pressure of burnout and are calling for a new legal right in the workplace.

Australians feel forced to work beyond their normal hours, prompting renewed calls for a legal right to disconnect.

New research shows more than four in five Aussies feel pressured to work outside their standard hours.

Associate Professor John Hopkins, of Swinburne University of Technology, believes this is contributing to an increase in unpaid overtime.

He says while the right to disconnect after the workday has ended should be a matter of common sense, it is becoming apparent that legislation is needed to protect a healthy work-life balance.

“Legislation would help,” he says. “Then it makes it an offence for the organisation to expect employees to go above and beyond and be available at times when they’re not working.

“Workers shouldn’t have to be available 24-7 to respond to emails and phone calls (about work).”

Four in five Aussies feel pressured to work outside their standard hours, new research from Hays shows. Picture: iStock

Lines blurred

Forty-six per cent of workers “frequently” feel pressured to work outside their standard hours, the research from recruiter Hays reveals, while a further 36 per cent say they “occasionally” feel obligated to do so.

Hopkins says the trend towards flexible hours, along with the ability to log into work after hours through smart devices, has blurred the lines between work and personal time and caused confusion among employees.

“Our schedules do not necessarily align anymore,’’ says Hopkins, Swinburne associate professor of management and founder of WorkFLEX.

“If your manager is sending you an email at 10.30 at night and you read it, you might think it needs addressing straight away. But that might not have necessarily been the intention – it might just be that (the manager was) working at that moment.

“But you don’t know how urgent it is. The fact that it’s sent outside of business hours says that it might be urgent.

“So while your manager might have just wanted to send it before bed, that’s not known to you.’’

The solution

The Greens recently introduced a bill to federal parliament to give Australians the legal right to ignore work-related emails, calls and texts outside of work hours.

Already, the right to disconnect has been enshrined in Enterprise Bargaining Agreements for Victoria Police and Queensland public school teachers. Griffith University has also banned staff from sending each other emails on a Friday afternoon in a bid to minimise after-hours work.

Outside of legislation and enterprise agreements, Hopkins says workers are entitled not to respond to work communication when they are off shift and recommends that alert notifications on devices are turned off after hours.

He suggests flexible workers adjust their email settings to delay messages being received by others until traditional work hours.

Hays chief executive officer Matthew Dickason also advises flexible workers to let their employer know when they are available to be contacted and when they are not.

FOMO

Rather than being employer-led, Dickason believes workers are opting to log on outside their normal hours due to a “fear of missing out”.

“They feel they might be left behind because other people are engaged (in work) outside of (traditional) work hours,” he says.

Worker shortages are also to blame, as employees struggle to meet project deadlines with fewer staff, he says.

Dickason rejects suggestions that workers who put in the extra hours will be rewarded with faster career progression. He says most companies prefer to recognise quality of work over the ability of staff to be “always accessible and always on”.

“Of course, in cases where there’s an emergency at work, then I think it’s fair and reasonable for people to be accessible,” he says.

“And sometimes you need to work outside of your set work hours for the success of the business.

“But it’s the measure of frequency that is happening and it should not be the norm that you are expected to work outside your set hours on an ongoing basis.”

Cezary Pawlisz appreciates the ability to disconnect after work.

Switched on

Cezary Pawlisz works as a personal trainer at leading aged care provider Life Care, which supports a healthy work-life balance by discouraging work-related staff contact out of hours.

Pawlisz says he is “rarely” contacted by his employer outside of his usual hours and appreciates the ability to disconnect at the end on the day and focus on his family and hobbies.

“It is commonly accepted that out-of-hours contact is the exception, not the norm, for those in my role,” he says.

“My colleagues know that when I’m at work, I’m 100 per cent switched on and available. But, when I’m not, I’m often exercising or cycling and my phone will be left at home or switched off.

“Every role is different and some careers may need workers to be available outside of their specific roster or usual working day. However, I think employers should be implementing their own measures to provide as much work-life balance as possible.”

Exercising the right to disconnect

Tips for those who feel pressured to regularly connect with work outside their standard hours:

• Set clear boundaries with your colleagues and manager. Communicate your work hours and let people know when you are available and when you are not.

• If you feel overwhelmed with your workload, talk to a trusted colleague or your manager. Ask for support to prioritise tasks.

• Turn off work-related notifications at night and take time to rest, recharge, pursue interests and spend time with family and friends.

• Use your full annual leave entitlements to completely unplug from work so you can relax and return refreshed.

Source: Hays

Originally published as Calls for a legal right to disconnect for under-pressure workers