Australia is about to enact a law allowing employees to refuse after-hours calls from their bosses.

Not only that, if employers violate this rule they may be fined.

The “right to disconnect” is part of a series of changes to employment laws proposed by the federal government under a bill to the Australian parliament that will protect workers’ rights and help restore the work-life balance.

Similar laws, which give workers the right to disconnect their phones, have been implemented in France, Spain and other European Union (EU) member states.

On February 7, Jobs Minister Tony Burke of the ruling center-left Labor Party said a majority of senators had declared their support for the law.

Mr Burke said the provision prevents employees from working unpaid overtime through the right to disconnect from unreasonable overtime communications.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said under the law, "a person who is unpaid for 24 hours a day should not be penalised if they are not available for that amount of time". Managers who break the rules could be fined.

The bill is expected to be introduced into the Australian parliament later this week.

Minh Hoa (reported by Thanh Nien and Women of Ho Chi Minh City)

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