[Australia] 50% of employees expected to check email and apps outside work hours

Australia is poised to implement its new right to disconnect law yet new research has revealed that more than half of the country’s employees are still expected to check emails and work apps outside their regular working hours, HRD reports.

In a recent survey from people2people Recruitment, 56 per cent of employees said their employers expect them to check emails and work apps outside scheduled work hours.

According to reporting from Channel Life Australia, 77 per cent of respondents said this instruction was implied by their employers rather than communicated directly.

The report showed that 70 per cent of employees in Australia continue to use their work-related digital platforms beyond the workplace, with 25 per cent reportedly stating that they spend more than five hours a week of their free time checking work apps and emails.

Catherine Kennedy - NSW Managing Director of people2people Recruitment - told Channel Life Asia that the findings underscore the issue of blurred digital boundaries in the workplace.

"While advancements in technology have undoubtedly improved productivity and connectivity, they have also blurred the lines between work and personal life, leading to potential burnout and decreased well-being among employees," she said.

Australia's recently passed right to disconnect legislation will take effect on August 26 for most employers.

The amnedment to the Fair Work Act 2009 allows employees to refuse any form of work-related contact from their employer outside their regular working hours.

"With the new right to disconnect legislation coming into place, employers are set to be faced with an added layer of difficulty when it comes to managing employees who request flexible work hours," Ms Kennedy said.

According to Ms Kennedy, employers must establish clear rules on digital availability outside work hours and use tech to help employees manage their digital workflow.

In addition, she reportedly encouraged employers to respect employees' personal time and help create a culture that encourages employees to disconnect from work-related communications outside designated work hours.

Ms Kennedy asked employers to consider why workers needed to continue work beyond work hours and highlighted the risk of burnout if employees keep working in this way.

Source: HRD

(Quotes via original reporting)

Australia is poised to implement its new right to disconnect law yet new research has revealed that more than half of the country’s employees are still expected to check emails and work apps outside their regular working hours, HRD reports.

In a recent survey from people2people Recruitment, 56 per cent of employees said their employers expect them to check emails and work apps outside scheduled work hours.

According to reporting from Channel Life Australia, 77 per cent of respondents said this instruction was implied by their employers rather than communicated directly.

The report showed that 70 per cent of employees in Australia continue to use their work-related digital platforms beyond the workplace, with 25 per cent reportedly stating that they spend more than five hours a week of their free time checking work apps and emails.

Catherine Kennedy - NSW Managing Director of people2people Recruitment - told Channel Life Asia that the findings underscore the issue of blurred digital boundaries in the workplace.

"While advancements in technology have undoubtedly improved productivity and connectivity, they have also blurred the lines between work and personal life, leading to potential burnout and decreased well-being among employees," she said.

Australia's recently passed right to disconnect legislation will take effect on August 26 for most employers.

The amnedment to the Fair Work Act 2009 allows employees to refuse any form of work-related contact from their employer outside their regular working hours.

"With the new right to disconnect legislation coming into place, employers are set to be faced with an added layer of difficulty when it comes to managing employees who request flexible work hours," Ms Kennedy said.

According to Ms Kennedy, employers must establish clear rules on digital availability outside work hours and use tech to help employees manage their digital workflow.

In addition, she reportedly encouraged employers to respect employees' personal time and help create a culture that encourages employees to disconnect from work-related communications outside designated work hours.

Ms Kennedy asked employers to consider why workers needed to continue work beyond work hours and highlighted the risk of burnout if employees keep working in this way.

Source: HRD

(Quotes via original reporting)