Workers closer to getting a 'right to disconnect'
KEY QUOTES FROM THE "RIGHT TO DISCONNECT" DEBATE:
"If you talk particularly to young workers, they want to know when work ends, they want to have a right not to open up their email and want to have a right to a weekend."
- Greens senator David Shoebridge
"I would have thought in a global economy one would be putting in place legislative requirements that actually make us more competitive, not requirements that are actually going to make it harder to do business."
- Shadow attorney-general Michaelia Cash
"What we're simply saying is someone who's not being paid 24 hours a day shouldn't be penalised if they're not online and available 24 hours a day."
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
"Clearly there are workers out there who want that right to not have to respond to unreasonable requests from their bosses outside of work hours."
- Independent senator David Pocock
"Employees already have legal protections against working unreasonable additional hours outside work. Modern technology has provided flexibility to the workforce and many employees no longer need to sit behind a desk from nine to five."
- Joint statement by nine business lobby CEOs
"We don't want to see the Fair Work Commission called in to deal with the day-to-day activity of running a business and issues should be resolved in the workplace."
- Business Council chief executive Bran Black
