ASU MEMBERS WON
THE RIGHT TO CLOCK OFF
AND SWITCH OFF
What is this about?
Balancing work and home life is essential for everyone. We all want to work hard and feel rewarded in our jobs, but we also need to spend quality time with family and friends, care for our loved ones, enjoy hobbies, exercise, and rest.
But for too many people, the work-life balance is off.
Unpaid overtime, contact after hours, excessive workloads and understaffing are systemic issues for many workers. With constant email and phone notifications, an expectation to always be switched on, and blurring boundaries between work and home life, finding the work-life balance is harder than ever.
ASU members campaigned for the right to clock off and switch off. In 2024, the right to disconnect became a reality. Learn about your right to disconnect in our factsheet.
70% of workers in Australia are often working outside of their scheduled hours
64% of workers have been contacted in relation to work whilst on leave – including sick leave carers leave, annual leave or long service leave
Workers are completing an average of 4.6 hours of unpaid overtime each week. That’s $460 of unpaid overtime a fortnight!
It is vital that workers can switch off from work and be properly paid for their hours worked – that includes being paid to be available to respond to work-related calls and emails.
We need the right to clock off and switch off.
The right to disconnect is becoming a reality across the world – in France, Spain, Canada, Argentina and Ireland.
78% of workers support the Federal Government legislating for the right to disconnect.
It’s time for Australia to act.
