Right to Disconnect, what does this mean for your workplace?

The 9-to-5 might still exist on paper, but in practice? Slack messages, late-night emails and “quick calls” after hours have blurred the lines. Now the law is drawing a firm boundary, and if you are an employer, it is time to pay attention. From 26 August 2024, medium and large businesses must comply with the new Right to Disconnect laws. For small businesses, this kicks in from 26 August 2025.

Let us be clear - this is not just a suggestion. It is legislation.

What Is the Right to Disconnect?

The Right to Disconnect gives employees the legal entitlement to ignore work-related calls, texts, emails, and messages outside their standard working hours, without penalty. This means:

• No more after-hours “just one quick thing” requests

• No silent pressure to respond late at night

• No expectation to be always available

Exceptions apply for emergencies or where contact is legally required, but the general rule is clear: when work hours are done, they are done.

Why has this been introduced?

Because boundaries matter. This law is designed to:

• Support employee mental health and wellbeing

• Reduce burnout, stress and silent overtime

• Encourage a healthier, more sustainable work culture

Let us not forget, burnt-out staff do not perform. Work-life balance is not a luxury. It is a productivity strategy.

What employers need to do right now

This is not just about avoiding legal risk. It is about stepping up as a modern employer. Here is what needs to happen:

Audit your culture

Does your workplace expectresponses after hours—even if it is unspoken? Do team leads model healthy boundaries or break them? Start with honest reflection.

Update your policies

You will need a clear, documented Right to Disconnect policy that sets out:

• What constitutes “work hours”

• What counts as an “emergency”

• How managers and staff should handle after-hours      contact

• Expectations around communication tools (Slack, Teams,      email, etc.)

If your policies are vague or missing altogether, now is the time to fix that.

Train Managers to lead by example

This change is cultural before it is operational. If leaders are still sending emails at 9:00pm or “just checking in” on weekends, it signals that boundaries do not really exist. Managers need to role-model respect for personal time and handle urgent issues without dragging the team back in.

Empower staff to set boundaries

Make it okay to say, “I will get to this in the morning.”Encourage staff to use their work hours well—and then log off fully.Respect goes both ways.

What happens if you ignore it?

Employees will have the right to raise concerns with you directly, and if unresolved, escalate to the Fair Work Commission. From there, things get formal - fast.

Do not leave this until it becomes a complaint. Prevention is easier (and cheaper) than remediation.

This is more than a legal change

It is a shift in how we respect people’s time. At HRxP, we help businesses like your’s turn legal updates into practical solutions. From drafting your Right to Disconnect policy to training your leaders, we make compliance clear and culture better.

Need help rolling this out before it becomes a problem? Let us make it simple and get your people (and your business) working better.