Keir Starmer’s government may introduce a ‘right to switch off’, as part of its ‘new deal for workers’. But is banning employers from contacting staff out of hours the right approach?
I like the idea of this but I’m not sure a blanket approach is the way forward. As Karen mentioned above there are some scenarios where specific members of staff may need to be contacted in the case of an emergency or due to their senior position.
The "right to disconnect" allows employees to switch off and refuse to respond to contact outside of work hours unless the refusal is unreasonable. Employers must determine reasonable and irrational, which may vary across industries, roles, and circumstances. If a dispute arises, the Fair Work Commission has the power to issue orders that any unreasonable contact stop, that any disciplinary action resulting from an employee's reasonable refusal stop, or that employees stop unreasonably refusing to respond to after-hours contact. Employers should carefully consider their operations and educate their managers on operational requirements and individual circumstances.
Are "Right to Disconnect" laws needed in the US? Some countries outside the US are adding these laws - and therefore impacted global organizations are having to implement policies that will comply with them, covering even their US locations. Perhaps US employers can avoid having to comply with a patchwork of state and local laws by voluntarily implementing policies that make disconnecting from work in off hours standard practice. #keepingcurrent #hrstrategies #righttodisconnect
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Should we ban emails after 5pm? If Labour come into power, the UK could be the 18th country to impose restrictions on contacting staff out of hours. It would be part of the party's 'right to switch off' plan. In the article at the link below, there is a reference to Portugal's 'right to disconnect' legislation which fines employers up to 10,000 euros for breaking the rules. 17 countries in total already have this legislation in place, including France, Belgium, Australia, and most of South America. Other countries such as Ireland use it as a 'code of practice' rather than a mandatory requirement. Labour's plan has huge implications for employers. There are a lot of nuances, such as the number of employees and what is deemed as 'urgent' or 'necessary' - but overall, it's something that will affect a lot of employers. The pandemic saw a wholesale adoption of flexible working practices, and many employers chose to continue with them post-pandemic. For many employees, working hours are not always the traditional 9-5 that we were used to. In many organisations, including my own, flexible working means that, as long as your team gets the job done, they can work when it suits them. I have seen first-hand that flexibility (as well as giving the team time to 'switch off') encourages a happy and productive workforce. The 'right to switch off' plan bans managers and bosses from emailing outside of traditional working hours, amongst other rules. Any updates to your HR policies will need to be both comprehensive and bespoke to your organisation. What do you think? Will this move affect your organisation? #RightToSwitchOff #FlexibleWorking #HRpolicies Jessica Pilling, Louise Roberts Note: the read the original article from The Sunday Times, click here: https://lnkd.in/ep-Cf6xQ
Australia’s Senate has passed legislation to give workers the ‘right to disconnect’. The new rules will grant employees the right not to respond to ‘unreasonable’ texts, emails and phone calls from their supervisors outside of their standard working hours. At the AFR Workforce Summit held this week, Woodside Energy outlined what the legislative changes could mean for its business, https://bit.ly/49BxVpN But it's not just multinationals that are caught in the crosshairs of these new rules. Companies and other organisations - big and small – that have interstate operations or suppliers and customers overseas will be impacted too. Key takeaways 🔹 The new right applies to all employees. 🔹 It doesn't prohibit employers and supervisors from contacting staff out-of-hours. 🔹 It gives workers the right to ignore after-hours communications from their employer without fear of being punished. 🔹 Employees can seek an order from the Fair Work Commission to stop their employer from forcing them to respond to out-of-hours texts, calls and emails. 🔹 If employers breach a Fair Work Commission order, they could incur a fine of up to $18,000. 🔹 The new rules won’t apply where a business has arranged for employees to be available in an emergency or pays them to be on-call. The legislation will come into force in six months. Is your business ready? Our HR Advisory Services can help you prepare. Contact us to find out more, https://lnkd.in/gqbJHqrv
The U.S. return-to-office mandate meets Australia's right to disconnect. Australia is showing they really mean work-life balance. Joining France, Spain and other countries in the EU that already have such laws on the books, the country is set to introduce laws giving workers the right to ignore unreasonable calls and messages from their bosses outside of work hours without penalty, with potential fines for employers that breach the rule. Since the pandemic, work-life balance has become an increasing battle cry among workers in the U.S. and aboard. From stress and anxiety to burnout and mental health issues, our 'always on' society has many hitting the wall. A key part of Australia's proposal essentially stops employees from working unpaid overtime. Here in the U.S., the nature of work is already shifting back to the pre-pandemic era with remote work now seen by employers as a productivity killer even though studies have shown the opposite to be true. As leverage has swung back in favor of employers, even more telling has been comments by some that workers need to actually work harder and longer hours which is in sharp contrast to what is happening in the EU. And if you're keeping track, Australia ranks fourth in the world for work-life balance behind New Zealand, Spain and France. The U.S. ranks 53rd. That pretty much says it all https://lnkd.in/g7i4DzJi #australia #workforce #worklifebalance #mentalhealth #workers
🗳️ Navigating Election Season: A Guide for HR Professionals 🤝 With the election season in full swing, HR professionals are gearing up to ensure a smooth and compliant workplace during this critical period. Understanding voting leave laws across states is essential to strike the right balance between civic duty and business operations. Here's what HR needs to know: 1. Know the State Laws: While there's no federal law mandating time off for voting, 30 states and D.C. require employers to provide some leave. Familiarize yourself with your state's regulations, as each state has its own policies regarding paid or unpaid time off for voting. 2. Remote Employees Matter: Voting leave laws apply to remote workers too. HR must avoid discrimination against those working from home. Complying with the strictest state laws, such as California's, often ensures compliance on a broader scale. 3. Plan Ahead: Anticipate potential disruptions. Plan for employees leaving early or arriving late to vote. Engage in conversations with employees about their election day plans to manage staffing considerations effectively. HR professionals, let's champion civic engagement, uphold workplace fairness, and ensure a harmonious work environment during this election season! 🗽👥 #HRCompliance #ElectionSeason #WorkplaceFairness
Did you know that workplace conflict costs UK employers a staggering £28.5 billion annually? 😱 Don't let your organisation fall into this costly trap! 💡 Employees should seek our expert advice the moment a staff member raises employment concerns—whether in writing or verbally. This is crucial, especially when disputes arise at the point of resignation! 🤝 Prioritise a harmonious workplace environment and save your company from unnecessary financial strain. 💼🌐 #EmployeeRelations #WorkplaceHarmony #ConflictResolution
Partner, Workplace Relations & Safety at Lander & Rogers | Non-Executive Director | GAICD
Do employees need a legal right to disconnect from work? This issue is being debated at the moment, and it is looking like legislation will be passed giving employees a right to ignore calls and emails after hours. #righttodisconnect #employee #safety
HOT TOPIC | As the latest tranche of industrial reforms makes its way through Parliament, one of the most hotly contested aspects of the new legislation has been employees' "right to disconnect" from work. Under changes expected to pass later today, employers will have less say in when they can expect a response if contacting employees outside of agreed work hours. In this update, Sally Moten, Gemma Weller and Piratheep Kirupakaran explain the debate behind the proposed right to disconnect, and how employers can prepare in anticipation of the legislation coming into effect. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gF8NyCuR #employmentlaw #industrialrelations #reform #employer #employee #righttodisconnect
Occupational Health Professional RGN NLP Practitioner assisting businesses with complex employee sickness absence. Offering NLP coaching and workshops to develop staff and promote psychological safety
2wI wondered what this meant ? I do think employees must be able to disconnect from work so they can switch off to avoid burnout. I appreciate in some roles you have to be on call or you are in a position of leadership where people may need to contact you in event of serious incident occurring. I come across lots of employers were they expect employees to be contactable outside their working hours