Urgent alert for small hospitality businesses: Are you ready for the Right to Disconnect laws by august 2025?Urgent alert for small hospitality businesses: Are you ready for the Right to Disconnect laws by august 2025?
New legal changes are about to rewrite the rules of after-hours communication for small businesses in hospitality.
From August 26, 2025, Australian small hospitality businesses with fewer than 15 employees must comply with the Right to Disconnect laws, designed to protect workers’ personal time and mental health. This means no more calls, texts, or emails outside scheduled work hours — unless it’s a genuine emergency.
Failing to adapt won’t just disrupt your team’s wellbeing; it could also cost your business up to $18,000 per breach in fines.
What does this mean?
- You’ll need to overhaul communication practices — managers and supervisors must understand when it’s appropriate to contact staff and when it’s not.
- After-hours messaging must be strictly limited to urgent situations only — no more last-minute roster changes by text or late-night calls.
- Rosters must be planned and finalised during working hours to avoid scrambling for staff outside the clock.
A crystal-clear policy defining what counts as an emergency will be your new best friend.The new laws are a wake-up call: your team’s downtime matters. Businesses that have already adjusted report higher morale, improved productivity, and happier staff.
Australian Hospitality Directory, 27th May 2025
