Should Malaysian employers contact their employees after office hours and on weekends when it is an employee’s own time? Under Australia’s new “right to disconnect” legislation, an employee may refuse to monitor, read or respond to contact, or attempted contact from their employer, or a third party outside their working hours, unless the refusal is unreasonable. The matter was raised on social media recently after the Australian legislation was passed on Feb 12.
Commenting on whether Malaysia should enact a similar law, lawyer Kokila Vaani Vadiveloo said should the country do so it would align with global labour standards. “European countries such as Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy and Portugal have implemented a range of measures, from legally binding regulations to codes of practice that apply to companies of all sizes. “In South America, Argentina stands out with its law targeting remote workers, while Kenya leads as the first African nation to pass similar legislation. “In Asia, Japan’s 2023 Rengo survey revealed 7