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Canadian millionaire and Shark Tank star slams Australia’s right to disconnect law as ‘so dumb’

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As a dedicated fan who has followed Kevin O’Leary’s career for years, I find myself wholeheartedly agreeing with his recent social media outburst about Australia’s new right to disconnect law. With a net worth of over $500 million and an impressive resume as one of Shark Tank’s most successful investors, it’s clear that he understands the importance of being reachable and responsive in business.

Shark Tank millionaire Kevin O’Leary has slammed Australia’s new right to disconnect law as ‘so dumb‘ in a very blunt social media post.

Millions of workers were given the legal right to ignore calls, emails and texts from their bosses after hours unless refusal is deemed ‘unreasonable’ on Monday, leaving O’Leary stunned. 

In a passionate post on Thursday, the Canadian businessman stated that if anyone informs me they are ‘on silent mode’, I consider it as grounds for termination.

This individual, who is 70 years old, is widely recognized for his role as a venture capitalist in the investment sector of Shark Tank, and it’s speculated that his net worth is approximately $590 million, which translates to around $400 million in U.S. currency.

In Australia, employees have the freedom to disregard work-related matters outside of regular working hours, as discussed in his recent Fox News segment.

He asked about potential situations: if there’s an event in the office but it’s closed, or if something urgent happens elsewhere that requires contacting them at 2am due to its impact on their work responsibilities and role within the organization.

“I find these concepts quite perplexing; they seem rather nonsensical to me. I wonder who conceived of them, and what led to their proposal?”

On the widely-watched business reality TV show, O’Leary is known for his straightforward approach as a panelist.

He often speaks out critically about the business strategies and product presentations of competitors, which occasionally sparks negative responses on social media.

At one point, he playfully suggested to a contestant on Dragon’s Den whom he wasn’t fond of that he would gladly give them $100,000 if they could ignite themselves in flames.

Under the recently implemented law, both employees and employers might receive directives from a tribunal to cease unjustified rejection of off-hours communication by one side, and excessive demands for out-of-hours responses on the other side.

In a statement, the Fair Work Ombudsman explained that the definition of what’s considered fair or reasonable can vary based on specific situations.

Under the newly enacted regulations, employees are now guaranteed legal safeguards against being compelled to answer off-hours phone calls that aren’t urgent or respond to emails beyond regular work hours.

Workers at larger corporations are allowed to decline responding to non-essential out-of-office calls from their employers, especially when such calls occur outside of regular work hours. Failing to answer in instances where the communication is mandated by law would not be considered unreasonable.

In cases where a response isn’t legally mandatory, the fairness of the situation will be assessed based on the employee’s role in the organization, the degree of interruption caused by the contact, and whether or not they received compensation for their time.

However, the changes do not prohibit an employer actually sending the email or message outside work hours. 

Companies found in breach of the rules can be liable to civil fines up to $19,800.

Beginning August 26, 2025, newly enacted federal regulations will affect businesses that employ fifteen people or more. Over the next twelve months, smaller enterprises are given time to adjust to this development.

As a lifestyle expert, I’m here to share insights, and today, I’d like to talk about a topic that’s been stirring discussions lately. Just like O’Leary, other celebrities are voicing their opinions on the new legislation. The latest voice to join the chorus is shock jock Kyle Sandilands, who’s advising Australian workers not to get overly optimistic about the changes that are being proposed.

On his recent episode of KISS FM Kyle and Jackie O Show, the host, aged 53, stated that it doesn’t imply they won’t secretly push you out, or sideline you in a less apparent manner.

Kyle suggested that despite the upcoming law prohibiting supervisors from penalizing employees for not working outside office hours, some cunning managers might discover loopholes or devious methods to circumvent these regulations.

‘Don’t think for a second: ‘Screw that real estate agent boss’,’ Kyle said.

‘Because eventually they will find a way to get rid of you to work around the boundaries.’

Kyle also urged all Aussie workers to not abuse the system. 

‘Anyone can assert, ‘by law, I’m not obligated to respond to that,’ and the response is usually, ‘No problem.'” This paraphrase aims to make the sentence more conversational and easier for a wider audience to understand.

“Then they catch you for even the tiniest rule violations. They can make you leave whenever they want, somehow. So, remember not to overstep the boundaries with the system.”

Jackie O Henderson, one of Kyle’s co-hosts, who is 49 years old, concurred with Kyle’s cautionary statement, stating that receiving contact outside of regular working hours has become a contemporary issue.

‘I feel like that might happen,’ Jackie said.

“It seems like modern work hours can feel endless due to technology such as emails and mobile phones. Before their existence, people generally weren’t disturbed during non-work hours.”

Kyle replied: ‘And nothing got done. It was the late 1970s. The world spun very slowly back then.’

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has countered criticism about the changes, stressing that since individuals don’t get compensated for 24 hours, they also should not be required to work that much.

He mentioned to ABC News that it’s essential for individuals to detach from their work and reconnect with their families and personal lives, not just in terms of mental health but frankly so.

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2024-08-30 07:37

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