Source: NZCTU
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Sandra Grey is calling on political parties to pass a Right to Disconnect law to ensure working people have the right to not be unreasonably contacted outside of work hours.
“Technology and remote work have erased the line between work and home. Workers shouldn’t have to go to a staff meeting on their day off, take their laptop to the beach in the weekend, or take a call from their boss at 10pm if they aren’t on call,” said Grey.
“Many New Zealand workers are constantly on the job. Long hours and overtime are common – we work some of the longest hours in the OECD – and burnout, anxiety, and stress are on the rise.
“Our laws haven’t kept up with modern ways of working. Current rules don’t protect workers’ time or wellbeing. They allow employers to exploit power imbalances in their relationships with workers.
“France, Ireland, Germany and Australia have all introduced ‘right to disconnect’ laws. The new law in Australia meant that unpaid overtime hours were fewer in 2024 than in previous years.
“With the Prime Minister suggesting workers have too much time off, and businesses cutting back on flexible work arrangements, we must ensure that workers are paid for all the work they do.
“This is not a blanket ban on contacting employees outside their scheduled work hours, rather it empowers workers to decide whether to respond to out-of-hours contact, based on the reason for the contact.
“We are calling on political parties to do the right thing – pass a Right to Disconnect law as soon as possible and give workers the right to knock off after work,” said Grey. lift the economic prosperity of working people, instead they are delivering higher costs and more job losses,” said Grey.
