Australia has enacted a groundbreaking “right to disconnect” law designed to improve work-life balance.
The law grants employees the right to ignore work-related communications outside of regular working hours without fear of employer retaliation.
This new legislation addresses growing concerns about the erosion of boundaries between professional and personal time.
A recent survey highlighted the issue, revealing that Australians worked an average of 281 hours of unpaid overtime annually.
The law does not prevent employers from contacting employees after hours but allows employees to ignore such communications unless their refusal is unreasonable.
This approach aims to mitigate the problem of overwork while respecting workplace needs.
Australia’s move aligns with similar regulations in over 20 countries, mainly Europe and Latin America, reflecting a global trend towards protecting personal time from work encroachment.
As work-life balance issues gain attention worldwide, including in Ghana, there is increasing debate over whether such a law could be beneficial.
The question is whether Ghana should consider implementing a similar measure to help employees manage their personal and professional lives more effectively.
