Australia's 'right to disconnect' law set to come into force

By Lewis Jackson

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian employees will from Monday have the right to ignore their bosses outside working hours thanks to a new law which enshrines the "right to disconnect."

The law, which passed in February, protects employees who refuse to monitor, read or respond to contact from their employers outside work hours.

Similar laws giving employees a right to switch off their mobile devices are already in place in France, Germany and other countries in the European Union.

As the law moved through parliament earlier this year it drew criticism from employer groups who called the legislation rushed and flawed.

The law allows for certain circumstances where an employee's right to refuse is unreasonable, depending on their role, the reason for the contact, and how it is made, among other factors.

(Reporting by Lewis Jackson; Editing by David Holmes)