<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>327602</docID> <postdate>2024-08-26 08:57:44</postdate> <headline>Workers, bosses clash over right to ignore calls, texts</headline> <body><div class="wire-column__preview__text" id="preview-body"> <p><img class="size-full wp-image-327560" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240221001905683775-original-resized.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" /></p> <caption>Workers can now refuse to monitor, read or respond to work communication outside paid hours. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)</caption> <p class="wire-column__preview__author"><span class="kicker-line">By <b>Dominic Giannini and Kat Wong</b> in Canberra</span></p> <p><strong>A worker can legally ignore calls and texts from their boss out of hours as the right to disconnect is ushered in, but businesses warn there's uncertainty about how it works. </strong></p> <p>Workers across Australia can now refuse to monitor, read or respond to work communication outside of paid hours, unless doing so is unreasonable.</p> <p>Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt said this would depend on seniority and the type of role as he encouraged workers to have a conversation with their boss.</p> <p>"What this is really about is trying to bring back a bit more work-life balance into people's lives," he told Sky News on Monday.</p> <p>"What we're asking people to do is just have a bit of respect for people's private life and recognise that they're not being paid after hours to take those calls."</p> <p>Junior employees who aren't highly paid shouldn't have to take calls for a run-of-the-mill matter that could wait until the next day, Senator Watt said.</p> <p>Workers like Lizzy Grant who would spend hours checking her phone for last-minute roster updates and responding to emails from her boss are expected to benefit from the reduction in unpaid hours.</p> <p>Ms Grant switched from working full-time in the public service to part-time in airline customer service because she wanted to spend more time taking care of her elderly mother and watching her grandchildren grow up.</p> <p>But a "restless" Ms Grant found her 20-hour week would often balloon to a 40-hour workload as she constantly replied to emails and texts about technical airline issues like dangerous goods and load controls.</p> <p>But it could be expected that a worker would pick up during an emergency situation or for highly paid senior employees to return calls, Senator Watt said.</p> <p>Business groups and the coalition are casting doubt on what the term "unreasonable" means.</p> <p>"It isn't going to spark a conversation, it's actually wrapping employers up in additional red tape and making some jobs completely unworkable," opposition finance spokeswoman Jane Hume said.</p> <p>"Adding more rights for workers for something that is just part of a normal working relationship is unreasonable, particularly for small businesses here, who just need to go and get the job done."</p> <p>Business Council of Australia chief executive Bran Black says it puts Australia's competitiveness at risk.</p> <p>"At a time when productivity has flatlined and insolvencies are increasing, we can't risk making it harder to do business with added red tape," he said.</p> <p>The government's reforms also improve rights for gig workers and provisions for casual employees to transition into permanent employment.</p> <p>https://citynews.com.au/2024/324525/</p> </div> </body>