Australian law will let workers ignore bosses’ messages after work
Listen to the story (Singaporean accent)
Australia is making a new law that lets workers ignore calls and messages from their bosses after work hours. If companies don’t follow this rule, they might have to pay a fine.
This law is called the “right to disconnect”. It’s part of a bigger plan to change work laws. The government says this will protect workers and help improve work-life balance.
Countries like France and Spain already have similar laws.
On Wednesday, Tony Burke, the Employment Minister, said that most senators in Australia support this law.
The law will stop employees from working overtime without pay. The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said that someone who isn’t paid to work 24 hours a day shouldn’t be punished if they are not available online or by phone 24 hours a day.
The law will also change some other rules like making it easier for temporary workers to become permanent workers, and rules to protect temporary workers and truck drivers.
Some people think this law goes too far. They say it could be bad for flexible work hours and make businesses less competitive. But the Greens, a political party in Australia, are happy about it. They were the first to suggest it last year.
The leader of the Greens, Adam Bandt said that Australians work six weeks of overtime without pay every year. He said this is like not paying workers more than A$92 billion ($60.13 billion). He also said, “That time is yours. Not your boss’s.”
Vocabulary27 words
- Law
- a rule, regulation, or guideline set by the government
- Ignore
- disregard; to not pay attention to; to refuse to notice or look at
- Work hours
- The time when you’re supposed to be doing your job; business hours
- Follow a rule
- Do what the rule says; To do what the guideline or instruction says
- Fine
- a penalty or punishment you have to pay with money
- Right
- the fact that a person or animal can expect to be treated in a fair, morally acceptable, or legal way, or to have the things that are necessary for life;
- Disconnect
- To stop being in contact or communication; To stop being connected or reachable; to “unplug” your electrical devices
- Government
- the group of people who have the authority to make and enforce laws and manage a country or region; the people/group that manage and operate a country
- Protect
- keep safe or secure; guard; defend
- Work-life balance
- Having a good amount of time for work and for other parts of your life; Making sure work and personal life are both good
- Employment
- work that you are paid to do for a particular company or organization; a job; the number of people who have jobs, or the ability to provide jobs to other people
- Minister
- a government person in charge of a department; government secretary; politician
- Senator
- someone who helps make the laws for a state or a country;
- Support
- to agree with a person or idea; to approve of an idea; promote; to help
- Overtime
- Extra time in a game when it's tied and they need to play more to decide a winner
- Pay
- The money you receive for doing a job or work;
- Prime Minister
- the head or leader of an elected government of a country; similar to a “president”
- Punish
- discipline; penalize; To make someone suffer for doing something wrong by hurting them, forcing them to pay money, or sending them to prison
- Available
- able to be used: ready for use; accessible
- Temporary worker
- A person who has a job for only a short time; contract worker; Someone with a short-term job
- Permanent worker
- a worker with a contract at a company that doesn’t have an end-date; someone who can work at a company for a long time
- Go too far
- to do something in a way that upsets or annoys people; not acceptable
- Flexible
- able to bend or change shape easily without breaking; adapt easily; change easily; not restricted by time
- Competitive
- Trying hard to be better than others.
- Party (political party)
- an organization of people with the same political views; a group of people who work together to get political power
- Leader
- someone who is in charge of a group, organization or country; a boss or manager; a person who guides, directs, or commands a group
- Billion
- 1,000,000,000 = one-billion
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Australia is _____ a new law that lets workers ignore calls and _____ from their bosses after work hours. If companies don’t _____ this rule, they might have to pay a fine.
_____ law is called the “right to disconnect”. It’s _____ of a bigger plan to change work laws. The _____ says this will protect workers and help improve work-life _____.
Countries like France and _____ already have similar laws.
On _____, Tony Burke, the Employment Minister, said that most senators in Australia _____ this law.
The law will stop employees from _____ overtime without pay. The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said that someone who isn’t _____ to work 24 hours a day shouldn’t be punished if they are not available _____ or by phone 24 hours a day.
The law will also _____ some other rules like making it easier for temporary workers to become _____ workers, and rules to protect temporary _____ and truck drivers.
Some people think this _____ goes too far. They say it could be bad for flexible work hours and make _____ less competitive. But the Greens, a political party in Australia, are _____ about it. They were the first to suggest it last year.
The _____ of the Greens, Adam Bandt said that Australians work six weeks of _____ without pay every year. He said this is like not paying workers more than A$_____ billion ($60.13 billion). He also said, “That time is yours. Not your boss’s.”
Discussion questions
- Do you think the "right to disconnect" law is a good idea? Why or why not?
- Do you have similar laws in your country? If not, would this law work well in your country?
- How do you think this law will affect workers’ lives?
- What are some other ways the government can protect workers' rights and improve work-life balance?
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