April 2025
As Australians head to the polls in the upcoming Federal Election, two key workplace rights —flexible work and the right to disconnect—are up for public reflection, and potentially, repeal.
While much of the public conversation has focussed on productivity and the economy, the mental health implications tied to how, when, and where we work deserve equal attention.
These policies aren’t just about convenience or workplace trends. For many Australians, the ability to work from home and work flexibly are vital protections that support mental wellbeing, prevent burnout, and promote healthier, more sustainable working lives. And those protections impact some workers more than others.
Why Australians work from home
Data shows that more than 600,000 people currently work remotely to reduce commute times, and the associated stress, or to cut costs and save money. Another 320,000 choose to work from home to balance childcare or other caring responsibilities [1]. These arrangements provide a critical support structure for workers trying to maintain both professional and personal responsibilities.
The mental health benefits of flexible work are well documented. Reduced commute times can free up hours in the day for rest, exercise, or family – and ease road congestion for those in industries where remote work isn’t an option. Being able to structure work around caring responsibilities can ease chronic stress and prevent burnout, especially for parents and carers. For people living with disability or health issues, the option to work from home can be the difference between participating in the workforce or being excluded from it altogether.
Without these arrangements, many—especially working women, who are more likely to take on caregiving roles—may be forced into part-time roles, and with that, take a pay cut to maintain some level of flexibility.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton had previously said a Coalition government would force public service workers back into the office but has since walked back that policy after suggestions it would unfairly affect parents, particularly working women, who relied on flexible work.
While some major employers are calling for a return to the office, recent data shows this is out of step with broader workplace trends. The Australian HR Institute (AHRI) reports that hybrid work is stabilising as the new norm, with 28% of companies having no mandated office days in 2025—up from 25% in 2023 [2]. Even where in-office presence is required, three days per week is the most common model. Only 6% of employers demand a full-time office return.
Hybrid work works—for everyone
Flexible work isn’t just an employee preference – it also works for employers, who are themselves reporting the upside.
According to AHRI, 45% of companies said hybrid arrangements have improved productivity. More than 60% reported better work-life balance among employees, 44% saw improved retention, and 41% noted enhanced health and wellbeing. Conversely, tightening office attendance policies made recruitment harder for nearly one-third of surveyed employers, with women, carers, and people with health concerns disproportionately affected.
The message is clear: flexible work isn’t just good for workers—it’s good for business. But ensuring the right systems are in place to manage these work arrangements in the modern age is crucial to success.
Protecting the Right to Disconnect
Equally important in this national conversation is the right to disconnect, which Opposition leader Peter Dutton has indicated he would repeal if elected. Enacted in August 2024 under the Closing Loopholes Bill, the law gives workers the right to reasonably refuse out-of-hours contact from their employer, closing a long-ignored “unpaid work loophole” that enabled widespread unpaid overtime as technology blurred the boundaries between work and life.
In an era where work emails and instant messages follow us home on our phones, and hustle culture demands immediacy, the right to disconnect is a safeguard against the erosion of personal time. It also ignited critical public discussion about the associated mental health implications of modern work environments.
Analysis by the Centre for Future Work shows that since the law was introduced, the average amount of unpaid overtime performed by Australian workers has fallen from 5.4 hours to 3.6 hours per week. The reduction was even greater for young workers (aged 18 to 29), who reported a 40% decrease in unpaid work [3].
This isn’t just about time; it’s about health. Constant connection and an inability to switch off are linked to anxiety, disrupted sleep, and a higher risk of burnout. When work expectations bleed into evenings and weekends, workers lose the chance to properly recover and recharge. For some, it becomes a barrier to spending quality time with family, exercising, or seeking support when needed.
Before these changes were introduced, Australians were performing an estimated 3.3 billion hours of unpaid overtime each year. This figure has dropped by a staggering 1.1 billion hours.
It’s a strong signal that workplace culture is shifting – and that there’s appetite for work arrangements that respect employees’ time and wellbeing.
Scrapping the right to disconnect could add more than 100 minutes of unpaid overtime back to workers’ lives every week. For over 1 million Australians who already report working after hours just to “catch up,” this would deepen existing burnout and blur boundaries even further. If they were ordered to return to the office fulltime, these unpaid extra hours would continue at work, further eroding personal time.
Looking to the future
Mental health in the workplace is gaining awareness. As conversations around psychological safety and burnout grow louder, it’s crucial that Australia protects the policies that help workers thrive.
Protecting the gains made through hybrid work and the right to disconnect means acknowledging the value of boundaries, recovery time, and autonomy in the way we work.
[1] Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2024
[2] Australian HR Institute (AHRI), 2025
[3] The Australian institute’s Centre for Future Work, 2024