'I am really attracted to the idea,’ says employment minister
The government has yet to decide on the “right to disconnect” legislation for Australian workplaces, but Employment Minister Tony Burke has revealed that he is "attracted" to the concept.
"It's something where we haven't made a final decision... [but] I am really attracted to the idea," he told ABC's Q+A on Monday.
He made the remarks as he pointed out how technology made individuals available all the time.
"It used to be the case if you were on call, you'd get an on-call allowance," Burke said as quoted by the Daily Mail. "Someone who was carrying a beeper, they would have an on-call allowance because they could be contacted at any point."
"The moment we all bought our own beepers and our phones, people are just being contacted."
Even the minister indicated that he is guilty of contacting staff after work hours when asked during the interview.
"There's a different arrangement in terms of their overtime and things like that... but I am respectful of weekends," he said.
In Australia, there has been growing calls to join other parts of the world that are legislating a right to disconnect for workplaces.
Early this year, a final report from the Senate Committee on Work and Care recommended the introduction of a "right to disconnect" outside work hours.
It comes after Senator Barbara Pocock, the committee chair, said they were surprised by "evidence of widespread and unpredictable rosters and working hours."
Australians also feel pressure to remain connect to work even outside of their work hours, according to a Hays report in May.
In a survey among 25,000 respondents, 46% said they "frequently" feel pressure to work outside their standard hours, while 36% "occasionally" feel this pressure.
To address the problem, Hays urged employers to establish clear policies on after-hours work, which includes limiting emails and phone calls after hours.
"Foster a culture where employees feel comfortable setting boundaries and prioritising personal time. Lead by example and model healthy work boundaries," Hays said in a media release.
