WhyWork® Podcast | Professional adult content | Sponsored by ViVA health at work

S05-E03: Grab the Pilates socks – it’s our ‘right to disconnect’ time

“These lawyer boys are like Teflon,” Sara labels, “You see? There you go again– deflection! That is deflection number 02 this morning,” she accuses Alan.

After discussing Alan’s adventures, soaring above the lush, grassy, green, open paddocks of Tasmania and Trajce’s newfound love of the Reformer and his Pilates socks, the team venture into workplace discourse.

Trajce asks, “If I ask you about your right to disconnect, what does it mean to you?” Alan, Trajce, and Sara debate the amendments to the Fair Work Legislation 2009 on the right to disconnect. The team focus their discussions on the service professions, like teaching, policing, and healthcare workers.

“The law exists because the system is failing. The court is a last resort,” says TC, “We must need this prompt, this mandate to design work better since we, as a society, are not resolving this.” “You know the Christian biblical story described in the Old Testament about how God gave His people Ten Commandments, yet others were thrown away? My verdict: throw this one away.” Sara ponders ideas on alternative design strategies and cultural expectations of work. She recalls the ‘roving classroom’ design strategy modelled in the United States. She is befuddled on why Western Society did not better capitalise on the rich opportunities afforded by the pandemic upheavals to evolve, and re-design quality education combined with good work models.