"Right To Disconnect" Challenges in Australia and Taiwan
Employees in Australia can now mute their work notifications when they're not on the clock. The new law has received mixed responses from workers and employers there. Taiwan has no such law in place, but some workers in Taiwan say workplace culture has started changing for the better.
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00:00Some employees in Australia may actually be able to enjoy their off hours in peace and quiet,
00:06as a new law designed to protect their personal lives takes effect on Monday.
00:10The so-called right to disconnect law is designed to prevent them from being punished
00:15for choosing to mute unwelcome notifications from their employers after they leave work,
00:20in the hope of giving them a better work-life balance.
00:23Reactions on the street are mostly positive.
00:26I think it's actually really important that we have laws like this.
00:29We spend so much of our time connected to our phones, connected to our emails all day,
00:36and I think that it's really hard to switch off, as it is.
00:39But some think it may be difficult for this law to catch on in competitive industries.
00:44Well, you know, we are professionals, we're well-paid, we're expected to deliver,
00:50and we feel we have to deliver 24 hours a day if we have to.
00:55The phone's always on, the computer's always on, and we're working.
00:59Some workers in Taiwan share that sentiment.
01:02They seem to prioritize work efficiency even outside of work hours,
01:05following unwritten rules of workplace culture.
01:08It's okay to reply to a message.
01:11Sometimes there may be a librarian on the street,
01:15or there may be some business that needs your reply.
01:19If you don't want to waste too much time, just reply.
01:23The people below will work with the higher-ranking people
01:26so that they don't lose their jobs.
01:28Or there's a custom that's been passed down from generation to generation.
01:35When I was a kid, my parents would say,
01:37you have to go out to work, you have to work with the boss.
01:42But these days, it may be a little better.
01:45That's why I have to reply.
01:47And employers here say requests for urgent responses often come from their clients, not from them.
01:52If the employer gives an urgent message,
01:55or if something urgent happens at work,
01:59we have to deal with it as soon as possible after work.
02:02In Taiwan, there's no law that grants workers the right to disconnect after hours.
02:07But people say more offices have become less overbearing,
02:11and younger workers have started standing up against the traditional demand to always be reachable.
02:16If someone feels uncomfortable,
02:18I don't think it's a reasonable thing to do.
02:20So I hope that slowly,
02:23employers and employees will be able to understand each other,
02:27instead of having to enforce a law that says,
02:30I can disobey my employees, or I can disobey my boss.
02:32The line between when it's reasonable to contact employees
02:35and when it's off-limits can be a difficult one for employers to draw.
02:39Whether in Australia or Taiwan,
02:41what may be more important is clearer terms on work-hour expectations.
02:45Devon Tsai, A9 Ringling, for Taiwan Plus.