Two years after the right to disconnect became law under the Fair Work Act, it now applies to businesses of every size. Early evidence suggests the reform has been less disruptive than expected, with more employers reporting gains than friction. Flexible workspace provider JustCo says the harder part of adapting is often physical, not procedural, since it's difficult to draw a line around the working day when it doesn't happen in one distinct place.
What the law actually requires
The right to disconnect allows employees to reasonably refuse to monitor or respond to work contact outside their hours. It applied to employers with 15 or more staff from August 2024 and extended to small businesses a year later, meaning most Australian workplaces are now covered in some form.
The law regulates contact, but it assumes the working day has a clear physical end, which isn't always true. For many people working from a bedroom or kitchen table, there's no obvious moment of leaving to mark that boundary. A written policy can set expectations around hours, but it doesn't always create the separation those hours are meant to protect.
Early signs point to gains, not disruption
Early sentiment appears more positive than some of the debate leading up to the reform suggested. Research from the Australian HR Institute, based on responses from more than 600 senior business decision-makers, found that 58% believed the right to disconnect had improved employee engagement and productivity. A further 37% reported reduced workplace stress, while 39% observed improvements in work-life balance among their teams.
These findings suggest that clearer boundaries around when work begins and ends can benefit both employees and businesses. Rather than necessarily reducing the amount of work being done, the reform may be encouraging organisations to think more deliberately about when, and where, that work takes place.
Where work happens still matters
For some businesses, supporting clearer boundaries means looking beyond policy and considering the physical working environment.
A dedicated workplace creates a natural transition between professional and personal time that can be harder to replicate when working entirely from home. Access to quiet areas, dedicated desks and bookable meeting rooms can also help employees focus and collaborate during business hours, reducing the likelihood of work spilling into personal time.
Flexible workspaces, including coworking spaces and private offices, can therefore offer another option as businesses adapt to changing ways of working. This may be particularly relevant for smaller businesses that came under the right to disconnect rules in 2025 and may not want the commitment of a conventional office lease.
For example, businesses looking for flexibility can use a hot desk office in Sydney when employees need an occasional workspace, while a private office in Sydney CBD can provide teams with a dedicated base. JustCo operates multiple locations across Australia as part of its wider Asia-Pacific network.
As businesses continue adapting to the right to disconnect, creating healthier boundaries may require thinking not only about after-hours policies, but also about whether the working environment makes it easier for employees to leave work behind at the end of the day.
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