Had someone told you before the Covid era that, by 2023, 37% of the Australian workforce would be able to enjoy the flexibility of remote work, you probably would have laughed.

There was a time when the norm was to go to the workplace, punch in and out, and head home with the understanding that work would not occupy your thoughts or prompt any communication until the following day.

However, the advent of emails transformed this routine, and with the subsequent introduction of smartphones, the ability to access work emails from any location meant you became reachable 24/7.

Labour and the Greens have teamed up to deliver a right for workers to disconnect from their employer’s unreasonable contact outside of work hours.

But now business is pushing back against this deal saying it could discourage flexible work arrangements and risk returning staff to the “rigid” workplaces we used to have.

Michael McLaren is joined by Liam O’Brien, ACTU Assistant Secretary, who stresses that allowing working people the right to disconnect outside of working hours is necessary for health and practical reasons.

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