In the year 2022, a survey by the Centre for Future Work at Australia Institute came out, which says that 7 out of 10 people are forced to work beyond working hours. They do not even get paid for this overtime. Much before this, there was talk of a law in which employees are not forced to check their phones or emails after office hours. Now this law has been implemented in the name of Right to Disconnect.
Why was there a need
In almost every job, employees are under pressure to answer calls from senior officials even after the scheduled working hours. Especially in the private sector. Many times, not answering a phone call or an email can put your job and promotion at risk. However, there is no salary for this work done after working hours.
The Centre for Future Work at Australia Institute admitted that last year people in the country worked an average of 281 hours of overtime. According to the average wage rate, the salary for this many hours is approximately $7500. But neither overtime was given nor was there a reduction in working hours. This is also affecting the mental and physical health of people.
This is not the situation of Australia alone. This pattern has started appearing all over the world since the time of Covid. Countries are trying in their own ways to stop this. In Australia too, the Right to Disconnect law came under the Fair Work Act. However, many people are also speaking against it.
According to The Guardian report, many business groups believe that such a law was not needed. This will create uncertainty. Even the employees themselves will not be able to take flexible work time because they have fixed their working hours. Opposition leader Peter Dutton in Australia has even said that if he comes to the election next year, he will withdraw this law.
What will happen under the right to disconnect
After the law comes in, it will not happen that emails or phone calls stop coming after office hours. For this, both the parties will talk, in which it will be decided what is the right and wrong time to call. This will enable the employees to have control over their working hours. If a senior officer calls at the wrong time, a complaint can also be made against him. Any dispute will go to the Fair Work Commission, which can take strict decisions apart from talks and mediation.
Companies that ignore the rules continuously can be fined. If a senior employee does this continuously, he can also be fined personally. At the same time, corporate fines will be imposed on companies.
And which other countries have such a rule
In France, a law on the right to disconnect was passed in 2017. This law gives people the right to stay away from emails and phone calls outside working hours. Apart from this, this rule is in many countries including Italy, Spain, Canada, Belgium, Chile, Germany, Luxembourg, Argentina. Whereas in America, this right is partially there. Under this, after the working hours are over, the employee can switch off his phone and other things used in the office.
Whereas in countries like Netherlands, Sweden and Norway, the employer and employee themselves decide that they will not contact each other after the work hours are over. The culture here is such that there was no need to bring a separate law for this. In India too, in the year 2018, MP Supriya Sule raised the issue of such a law but the discussion could not move forward.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)