‘Fostering strong connections’ essential amid new Right to Disconnect

With organisations already seeing the impact of the Right to Disconnect (RTD) legislation, which, of course, came into effect on 26 August 2024, many are realising that trust and boundaries between employees and employers have never been more important.

As the RTD now provides employees in Australia the protection to not monitor, read, or respond to contact in their job role, naturally, businesses across the Land Down Under were going to have to make some adjustments.

Many have already set boundaries, trying to assert the best of both worlds by creating that work/life balance that the legislation is supposed to achieve while simultaneously having workers who are reliable and dependable.

Despite the optimism littered through various media channels in the lead-up to the implementation, only 28 per cent of the Dayforce survey respondents believed the legislation would improve work/life balance for employees, while just 14 per cent believed it would enhance employee retention and reduce turnover.

The survey also showed that employers are worried about slipping up in regard to their compliance obligations. Managing compliance requirements is now the biggest barrier to high performance for 30 per cent of organisations, according to respondents.

“These results highlight the growing complexity crisis that Australian employers are navigating, including increasing compliance risk and the expectations of a boundless workforce,” said Brian Donn, managing director, APJ, at Dayforce.

This sentiment was echoed by Simon Obee, head of HR advisory at Employment Hero and principal lawyer at EI Legal, who argued that SMEs will suffer greatly from the changes as the burden of compliance rains down.

“It’s important that there are enough tools and resources out there to ensure SMEs, which are the backbone of our economy, are educated and supported, as these laws add to the already overflowing pool of regulations they need to comply with,” Obee said.

“This is not a case of hand holding, but rather about providing clear, accessible information and resources to support our SMEs, as well as a balanced dialogue that considers the impact over-regulation can have on small businesses and the wider Australian economy.”

Donn, however, believes it comes down to creating a cohesive team environment between workers and employers. He stated that technology can be a driver for this process.

“Fostering strong connections between an organisation and its people, as well as investing in efficiencies through strong processes and innovative technology, is critical,” said Donn.