Internal comms and employees’ ‘right to disconnect’ - what does it mean?

Whether you're in Australia or around the world, the laws for our workplaces are rapidly evolving, with a growing focus on promoting work-life balance. As the world adapts to new norms, especially in the wake of the post-pandemic era, the lines between work and home are blurring… but what does that mean for comms?

We can start by looking at the recent developments in Australia regarding the right to disconnect laws. This legislation grants workers the right to disengage from work-related communication channels, such as emails and text messages, outside of their designated working hours.

Stemming from the rise of remote and hybrid work setups, the right to disconnect aims to prevent burnout and the uncompensated extra hours many employees put in outside their contractual obligations.

What will this mean for internal communication? We’ve got three big considerations you need to start thinking about now to be prepared!

Start by looking at your channels 

Start a thorough review of your comms channels and their governance. Begin with an audit to analyse the use of your channels, and then use the data to get feedback from your audience. You should collaborate with HR to align your governance and legislative requirements - such as only sending emails to employees specifically inside their working hours unless emergent - to ensure your channel governance is in line with employee agreements.

Train your leaders on best practice

Leadership training is crucial to make sure your leaders understand the implications of the legislation and how to communicate effectively within its parameters. Make sure you provide tailored guidance for different scenarios, such as standard hours and shift work.

Communicate the change

Effectively communicating any change is key to a successful implementation, and our change comms framework (known as EPIC) can help. You can use this framework to personalise your messages and strategies for different audience segments. Understanding the unique impacts on shift workers, remote employees, and hybrid workers is a big piece of this puzzle you’ll need to identify!

As we anticipate the implementation of the right to disconnect legislation in Australia, it's crucial for organisations to learn from the rest of the world with the legislation already in place by proactively addressing its implications for internal communication. These simple three steps can help businesses navigate this change smoothly, ultimately fostering a healthier work-life balance for employees.