Kyle Sandilands has issued a warning to Australian workers as the government’s new ‘right to disconnect’ laws come into effect on Monday.
From August 26, employees of large companies can refuse to respond to ‘unreasonable’ after-hours calls from their employer.
Speaking on his KIIS FM Kyle and Jackie O breakfast show on Monday, Kyle warned Aussies celebrating the new industrial change not to get too excited.
‘It doesn’t mean they won’t railroad you out behind the scenes,’ the radio host, 53, said.
Kyle argued that while it would be illegal, under the new legislation, for bosses to punish workers for not responding after hours, some unscrupulous managers could find ways around the laws.
‘Don’t think for a second: “Screw that real estate agent boss”,’ Kyle said.
‘Because eventually they will find a way to get rid of you to work around the boundaries.’
Kyle also urged all Aussie workers to not abuse the system.
Kyle Sandilands has issued a dire warning to Australian workers as the government’s new ‘right to disconnect’ laws come into effect on Monday
‘Everyone you can say, “oh by law, I don’t have to respond to that” and they will then go, “no worries”.’
‘And then they get you for every little tiny infringement. You will go if they want you to go, one way or another. So, don’t abuse the system.’
Kyle’s co-host Jackie O Henderson, 49, agreed with Kyle’s warning adding that being contacted outside of work hours was a modern problem.
‘I feel like that might happen,’ Jackie said.
‘I think it’s sometimes because the thing is that work hours now are infinity. When you didn’t have email and mobile phones, you never got bothered outside of work hours.’
Kyle replied: ‘And nothing got done. It was the late 1970s. The world spun very slowly back then.’
Kyle argued that while it would be illegal for bosses to punish workers for not responding after hours, some unscrupulous managers could find ways around the laws
The new laws will legally protect workers from being forced to take non-emergency calls and respond to emails outside of business hours.
Employees of large companies can refuse to respond to ‘unreasonable’ after-hours calls from their employer. Not answering the phone will be unreasonable if the contact is required by law.
If the call or email is not required to be answered by law, reasonableness will be judged by the worker’s job responsibility level, how disruptive the contact was and whether they were compensated.
The Fair Work Commission is the port of call for an employee or employer to take a complaint.
Companies which breach the rules, including an individual employee, can be liable to civil fines up to $19,800.
The changes do not prohibit an employer actually sending the email or message outside work hours.
The new federal laws will apply to businesses 15 or more staff as of August 26, 2025. Smaller companies have another 12 months to adapt to the change.
‘Everyone you can say, “oh by law, I don’t have to respond to that”… but then they get you for little tiny infringement. So, don’t abuse the system,’ he told listeners
