【打工仔福音！】澳洲「離線權」新例生效！收工可拒覆工作信息 Australia's "Right to Disconnect" Law Comes into Effect

澳洲「離線權」新例在周一（26日）正式生效，法例容許15人或以上的公司員工，在工作時間以外，可拒絕僱主聯絡而不被處分，以維護僱員在工餘時間的「離線權」（The Right to Disconnect）。若違反法例，員工及資方可被分別處以1.9萬澳元（約10萬港元）及9.4萬澳元（約50萬港元）的最高罰款。專家、勞方或工會均對「離線權」法表示歡迎，但資方卻認為法例模糊，易引起的混亂。

互聯網、流動網絡、智能電話、手提電腦等的普及，加上疫情導致在家工作（work from home，WFH）模式盛行，徹底模糊了上班與下班的界線。新法例下，僱員有權在非工作時段可「不讀不回」來自僱主或客戶等第三方人士的信息（包括電郵、電話等等）。針對緊急情況或不固定工時的工作，新例仍允許僱主聯繫員工，但員工仍可在「合理情況」下拒絕回應。

澳洲就業與勞資關係部長Murray Watt指，「離線權」新例的設立是為追上科技發展，重申無法接受國民在非受薪時間不斷收到工作信息，並須回覆他們。而悉尼大學副教授Chris Wright則引歐盟旗下Eurofound的研究數據指，「離線權」措施能為上司與下屬帶來好處，並有助他們重建私人生活和工作的界線。

僱主組織「澳洲工業總會」則認為法例條文不清，勞方與資方並不確定能否在非工作時間聯絡以商討加班，這將減少工作靈活度，進而影響經濟發展。

目前在全球有約20個國家或地區推行類似的「離線權」法例，當中包括歐盟、法國、葡萄牙、泰國等。

Australia’s new "right to disconnect" law officially came into effect on Monday (26th), allowing employees of companies with 15 or more staff to refuse employer contact outside of working hours without penalty, thereby protecting employees' "right to disconnect" during their off-duty time. Non-compliance can result in maximum fines of A$19,000 (approximately HK$100,000) for employees and A$94,000 (approximately HK$500,000) for employers. Experts, labor unions, and employee representatives have welcomed the law, but employers argue that the law is vague and could lead to confusion.

The widespread use of the internet, mobile networks, smartphones, and laptops, coupled with the prevalence of remote work due to the pandemic, has blurred the lines between work and personal life. Under the new regulation, employees have the right to "ignore" messages (including emails and phone calls) from employers or third parties during non-working hours. While the new law allows employers to contact employees in emergencies or for roles with irregular hours, employees can still refuse to respond under "reasonable circumstances."

Australia's Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Murray Watt, stated that the "right to disconnect" law was introduced to keep pace with technological advancements and to reiterate that it is unacceptable for Australians to constantly receive work messages during their unpaid time and be required to respond. Chris Wright, an associate professor at the University of Sydney, cited research from the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) indicating that the "right to disconnect" measures can benefit both supervisors and subordinates, helping them to re-establish boundaries between their personal and professional lives.

The Australian Industry Group, an employer organization, argues that the law is unclear and that both employers and employees are uncertain about whether they can contact each other to discuss overtime during non-working hours. This, they contend, will reduce work flexibility and negatively impact economic development.

Currently, around 20 countries and regions worldwide, including the European Union, France, Portugal, and Thailand, have implemented laws which similar to Australia’s "right to disconnect" laws.