The roles most impacted by right-to-disconnect rules in Australia are global customer support specialists, multinational project managers, global or remote software engineers, and financial analysts who work with a different time zone. Other roles include marketing executives, human resources professionals, and office administrators who are expected to be available beyond office hours.
Roles most impacted
- B2B customer support: Staff who must answer client needs at all hours, which is quite common in B2B IT support, are more impacted.
- Global, remote, and hybrid project managers or software engineers: Roles that work from home and might be handling work with many different time zones are greatly impacted.
- Office administrators and HR professionals: Perth and Sydney have a three-hour difference, and roles that must handle many offices are impacted.
Why these roles feel the impact and why companies care
These roles involve tasks that do not end at a set time. Clients or customers may ask for help late at night, and they might expect a fast reply. Without clear lines, work time and personal time blend. This makes it hard for companies to hire for these roles without planning ahead.
Role design and what people expect
Senior staff often have more duties, but the law still protects them unless it is not fair to refuse contact. Companies must define what they expect from each role in writing. If a manager uses unspoken rules to judge a worker, the company faces more risk if there’s a breach in the right-to-disconnect rules.
What HR teams should account for
HR frequently applies new rules like this one by adapting company policy and writing down how the company will comply. Managers typically play a part in setting fair lines, since they can opt to call the staff only during working hours. Some companies offer unlimited PTO to facilitate when staff take breaks. Companies often prefer to track when people work so they obey the law.
TL;DR
- Roles with global or remote work, like customer support, project management, or office administrators with multiple locations, are the most impacted.
- Senior roles are also protected, unless it’s deemed unfair to refuse contact.
- Companies should set clear rules in writing. This helps everyone stay fair and obey the law.