This February, Australia became the latest country to officially pass 'right to disconnect' legislation.
Created to empower workers, and give them permission to ignore work calls, emails, and texts after hours, the right to disconnect amendment to Australia’s Fair Work Act aims to encourage the development of clear expectations and boundaries regarding contact and availability in the workplace.
Indeed, Australia is not alone in its investment in employee wellbeing.
Over the past few years, France, Spain, Portugal, Colombia and many other countries in Europe, Asia, North America and South America have decided to give employees the right to disconnect while off duty.
With employee burnout rates continuing to rise across the world, it prompts the question of whether every country should follow in their footsteps, and if all workers should be given the right to embrace a healthy work-life balance.
Why have we lost the ability to disconnect?
Modern technologies and current working trends have made it harder than ever for us to switch off from work at the end of the day.
The invention of smartphones has made it possible for managers to always reach their employees, even outside of work hours. This contact not only includes calls and emails, but also texts, WhatsApp, and other business communication platforms such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Chat, and more.
Many of us continue to be bombarded with messages and requests when we should be relaxing, or spending time with family and loved ones.
Exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the trend for home and remote working has further blurred the boundary between work and home.
Whereas this divide used to be defined as being from the moment you left the office, this separation no longer exists.
The harmful impact of stress and burnout
The idea that employees are increasingly expected to complete work outside of their allotted hours is commonly referred to as the "availability creep".
Certain groups of workers, such as those on unstable or indefinite contracts, are particularly vulnerable to the power of this harmful new trend.
Working too much and having an unhealthy work-life balance is widely regarded to increase levels of stress, anxiety and burnout amongst the workforce. It also reduces productivity, has a negative impact on employee health, and encourages a higher turnover.
In fact, a 2022 report by the Centre for Future Work in Australia showed that 71 percent of workers surveyed felt compelled to complete tasks outside their scheduled work hours. The main reasons for this were being overworked, or pressure from managers.
One-third of workers surveyed also said that their work demands had led to increased tiredness, stress or anxiety, while more than one quarter admitted that their work was having a negative impact on their relationships and disturbing their personal lives.
Perhaps most notably for managers and business owners, one fifth of recipients said that working out of hours decreased their sense of motivation, and how much satisfaction they got from their job.
National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031 is an initiative from UAE government to promote good mental health and adopting positive thinking. The strategy would focus on strengthening family ties and work on improving the quality of life in cities across the country.
The benefits of the right to disconnect
The right to disconnect provides an effective solution to all of the issues listed above.
It gives workers permission to switch off from work outside of work hours, without fear of punishment or even losing their job.
Each right to connect also stipulates exceptions to the rule, and times when it is permissible to contact employees outside work hours. For instance, it would still be appropriate to call an employee and ask if they want to fill in for a shift.
Furthermore, if an employer continues to "unreasonably" expect employees to perform unpaid work outside of normal hours, the right to connect gives workers the chance to impose 'stop orders' or even fines.
Promoting healthy work habits
As you can see, the right to connect gives employees permission to prioritize their mental health, adopt a healthy work-life balance, and work only the hours that they are contracted for and paid for. All of these are extremely positive outcomes.
In the local context, employment instability poses a persistent risk to professionals, aggravating their already elevated levels of stress levels. Burnout is well documented to cause stress at work, instructor turnover, absenteeism, a lack of motivation etc. Academicians experiencing burnout are typically being exhausted, overworked, and prone to health issues. Experts unanimously agree that upper management and leadership have a responsibility to protect employees and academicians' mental health.
One of the practical solutions to eliminate burnout in work place is that Management should guarantee that special care is taken to eliminate the toxic work atmosphere and identify individuals who contribute to this toxic culture and act upon them, since this management style do not promote creativity and ownership among employees. Periodically conduct one to one session through the Human Resource Department to get employees' feedback for better performance, and assure them on management's commitment in ensuring employees wellbeing and intent to create a healthy work life balance. Along with these, creating a culture within the organization in respecting a work life balance of every individual should be a top priority of the leadership team. Motivating employees to be super productive during work hours through visible reinforcements like weekend appreciation mails, employee gathering, sharing success stories etc. can lead to this cultural change. Nurturing a conducive and supportive work environment will always help people to maintain their sanity at work and life and also help the organization to retain the best talents.
Abu Dhabi University encourages all its students to recognise their rights as employees, while the university's bachelor's and master's degrees include elements of how to care for employee and students mental and physical health, and how to address burnout in the workplace.