The 'right to disconnect' expected to be introduced this week is potentially a "micro intervention" into employers' operations at a time when the focus should instead be on productivity, a workplace lawyer says.
In a Senate inquiry report, Labor and the Greens have expressed their support for the Closing Loopholes No. 2 Bill, subject to adding a new 'right to disconnect', and further casual and gig work amendments. But Coalition members say the Bill will be a "jobs killer".
The Federal Government is set to legislate a new 'right to disconnect' for employees, but details of how this might be implemented are yet to be revealed.
Mandating a return to the office usually results in resistance, while motivating and enticing employees back with authentic social experiences yields better results, according to a workplace strategist.
An employer that questioned a "high-achieving" employee's commitment to his role after he worked from home on mandatory in-office days has been ordered to pay him more than $26k in compensation for unfair dismissal.
An employee wrongly believed his organisation's formal process for remote-work approvals could be "arbitrarily changed", the Fair Work Commission has found in upholding his dismissal for serious misconduct.
Congruency between expectations and experience, throughout the entire employee lifecycle, is the most critical factor in whether an EVP will be considered "successful". Meanwhile "some disconnects exist" between what employees now desire in a physical workplace and what employers are providing.
The Fair Work Commission has affirmed disciplinary action against a remote worker who drank wine during an online meeting, rejecting that he was not "at work" at the time.
Remote work can facilitate "functional" presenteeism, because it's easier to work while ill when at home, but it could favour dysfunctional presenteeism too, researchers warn.
