Employees in Australia can now legally ignore work calls and emails after hours

Employees in Australia can now legally ignore work calls and emails after hours, meaning your boss can't interupt you as you enjoy a pint in the sun.

It can be quite tempting to reply to a few work emails out of hours, especially for those who are super dedicated to their job.

Maybe you didn't have enough time during the working day, so a few quick emails being sent from the comfort of your own home isn't too bad.

There is also the conversation to be had about work-life balance, and it looks like those over in Australia have sprung into action to do something about it.

Work-life balance is a divisive topic. (Getty Stock Photo)

What does the new 'right to disconnect' law mean?

From now on, Australian employees can ignore text messages, calls and emails from their manager out of hours without the fear of facing disciplinary action.

Thanks to their new 'right to disconnect' rights, an employee working in the country has the legal right to refuse to read, monitor or respond to work-related communication while not being paid to do so.

Aussie prime minister Anthony Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Monday (26 August): "Just as people don’t get paid 24 hours a day, they don’t have to work for 24 hours a day.

"For many Australians, I think they’re getting frustrated that they’re expected to be on their phones, their emails, all of that, for 24 hours a day. It’s a mental health issue, frankly."

Meanwhile, workplace relations minister Murray Watt added in conversation with Sky News: "What this is really about is trying to bring back a bit more work-life balance into people’s lives.

"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."

Employees in Australia can now legally ignore these calls out of hours. (Getty Stock Photo)

The news has been welcomed by many workers in Australia, including shift worker Lachy.

"Oh, it'll be a weight off my shoulders, for sure," he told ABC News.

"It'll give me some of my life back. Even going out to walk the dogs, going out with the mates.

"If I receive a phone call, there is some expectation that I do pick up."

Are there any catches to the right to disconnect law?

Like any new legislation, certain details still need to be ironed out.

Firstly, for now the law only applies to workers in businesses of more than 15 employees.

Those who work for companies with less than 15 employees will be able to disconnect after hours from 22 August 2025.

There's also the matter of the law not preventing your boss from contacting you out of hours in the first place.

While it does grant you the legal right to refuse contact, it doesn't technically stop your boss dropping that annoying email on you late at night.

There's a slight catch when it comes to that refusal too.

Employees can only refuse the out-of-hours contact if their refusal is 'not unreasonable'.

This all depends on individual circumstances so could be vary from person to person, workplace to workplace.

Either-way, it looks like Aussies are embracing the changes heading their way.