<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Millions of small business workers now have the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/right-to-disconnect-australia-workforce-laws-everything-to-know-explainer/18ce5069-4d07-4db3-b642-2e1c5b01b9a3" rel="" target="_blank" title="right to legally disconnect from work"><span>right to legally disconnect from work</span></a><span> after a federal government legislation change officially kicked in.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The right to disconnect employment law will capture small businesses with 14 employees and under from today.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Under the new rules, staff can't be punished for reasonably ignoring after hours calls, text messages or emails from the boss.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/erin-patterson-dangerous-inmate-only-cell-contact-for-mushroom-killer/9a992bf7-c2d3-4578-bb08-514649c9a4b5" target="_blank"><strong><span>Dangerous inmate only cell contact for mushroom killer</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Work-related contact under this law applies to employers as well as third parties such as clients or business partners.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Employees also can't be disciplined or let go for refusing contact outside of work hours.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The same rule has applied to big businesses for the past year.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/right-to-disconnect-laws-for-small-businesses-kicks-in-today/559116de-703e-4612-9650-abaaebd4fc82" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>According to the ABS, over five million people were employed by a small business in Australia in 2022.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The ABS Counts of Australian Business reported 97.2 per cent of total businesses in the country had under 20 employees.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>There are some exceptions to the right to disconnect.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While employees can refuse contact from employers where reasonable, what counts as reasonable is up to interpretation.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Several factors must be taken into consideration when deciding what is reasonable, including but not limited to the reason for the contact, whether an employee is compensated for after-hours work and an employee's personal circumstances.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/australia-post-united-states-usa-parcel-suspension-donald-trump-tariff/52615197-11c5-4e00-98f0-d0f576ba7159" target="_blank"><strong><span>Australia Post suspends deliveries to the US after Trump tariffs</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-suggests-us-may-like-a-dictator-in-threat-to-send-troops-to-chicago/6183008e-4f74-4774-b44b-f9bf0b7406c2" target="_blank"><strong><span>'A lot' of Americans would 'like a dictator', Trump says</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Workers with a reasonable additional hours clause already in their employment contract may not be able to invoke the new protections.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>If an employee feels these rights have been violated they should raise it first with their employer, then with the Fair Work Commission if internal mediation doesn't work.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Employers found to be in violation of the new laws can be fined up to $18,000.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Since the legislation came into effect for bigger businesses last year, research recently found more than half of all employers have been approached by staff exercising their right to disconnect.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/right-to-disconnect-law-1-in-2-employers-found-to-have-been-approached-by-staff-according-to-robert-half/d63ad302-fe1f-4c17-b3ae-dd977f1a99ed" rel="" target="_blank" title="Recruitment agency Robert Hal found"><span>Recruitment agency Robert Hal found</span></a><span> 56 per cent of surveyed employers reported formal complaints from staff wanting to use their right, while 15 per cent reported informal feedback or comments.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Small to medium businesses were found to have received 11 per cent more concerns from staff than large businesses.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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