Australia’s New “Right to Disconnect” Laws: What They Mean for Your Business and How to Respond Smartly

Australia’s new Right to Disconnect law has officially expanded to cover small businesses (those with fewer than 15 employees). Put simply, it gives employees the legal right to ignore calls, emails, or messages from their boss outside of work hours if the contact is considered unreasonable.

At first glance, this may feel like just another compliance box to tick. But if you’re a business owner or founder already juggling endless responsibilities, this law is more than an HR update. It’s a wake-up call about the way your business is designed and how sustainable it really is.

Because if your business depends on you and your team being available 24/7, it’s not just your compliance at risk. It’s your wellbeing, your team’s wellbeing & morale, and ultimately, your ability to grow.

Why This Hits Business Owners Hard

Let’s be honest. Most founders didn’t start their business to work fewer hours, they started to build something meaningful. But over time, many owners find themselves caught in a pattern:

• Every decision runs through them.

• Every client problem lands on their desk.

• Every after-hours message feels urgent.

  
  

That might have worked when your business was small. But once you hit scale or when regulations like the Right to Disconnect come into play this model breaks.

The risk isn’t just fines (up to $93,900 for breaches). The bigger danger is burnout for you, disengagement for your team, and an organisation that can’t grow beyond your personal bandwidth.

Turning Regulation into Advantage

The good news is this: laws like the Right to Disconnect push us to design businesses that work smarter, not harder. They force owners to ask:

• Do I have the right structure in place?

• Am I empowering my people, or holding onto too much?

• Are my processes clear enough that the business can run without me being “always on”?

  
  

That’s where the Five Levers of Business Performance come in. These levers: Strategy, Structure, People, Processes, and Systems are the foundation of a business that can thrive under new rules without missing a beat.

The Five Levers Applied to the Right to Disconnect

1. Strategy: Defining What’s Really Urgent

It starts at the top. A clear strategy not only sets direction, it defines priorities. If everything is urgent, nothing is. Owners who take the time to set clear strategic boundaries find it easier to filter what truly requires after-hours attention versus what can wait.

2. Structure: Empowering Beyond the Owner

If your team structure is flat and everything flows to you, compliance will be a nightmare. But when you design roles with accountability and decision rights, the business no longer relies on you being available 24/7. Delegated authority isn’t just nice to have, it’s essential.

3. People: Building Capability and Trust

Even with the right structure, people need to feel confident making calls without running everything past you. Training, mentoring, and clear expectations give employees the tools to handle most issues during work hours, reducing the pressure on you, and them, after hours.

4. Processes: Creating Clarity and Consistency

People can’t comply with what they don’t understand. Documented processes around escalation, client communication, and handovers mean your team knows exactly what to do. This isn’t bureaucracy, it’s freedom. The clearer your processes, the fewer late-night interruptions.

5. Systems: Using Tech as Guardrails

Tools like Slack, Teams, or shared dashboards can reinforce boundaries with features like “do not disturb” modes, automated updates, or scheduled communication. Systems don’t replace leadership, but they create the framework for smarter, healthier work habits.

The Bigger Picture: Wellbeing and Scale

At its heart, this law isn’t about preventing work, it’s about protecting people. For your employees, it’s about balance and respect. For you, it’s about building a business that doesn’t rely on you sacrificing your personal time to keep things afloat.

If your business can only function when you’re “always on,” it will never truly scale. The Right to Disconnect is a timely reminder that your wellbeing and your ability to grow are deeply connected.

What This Means for You Right Now

If you’re a business owner who’s:

• Feeling stretched because everything depends on you,

• Worried about how new laws like this affect compliance, or

• Struggling to step back and think strategically, then this is the moment to pause and redesign.

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By aligning your Strategy, Structure, People, Processes, and Systems, you don’t just meet compliance, you build a business that runs smoothly, supports your team, and gives you back the headspace to grow.

Final Word

The Right to Disconnect may look like a burden, but it’s actually an opportunity. An opportunity to shift from being in the weeds to working on the business. An opportunity to create balance for your people and yourself. An opportunity to finally build the scalable business you set out to create.

If this resonates with you and you want practical help to make the shift, I’d love to chat.