New 'right to disconnect' provision means police staff can't be contacted after hours or on days off

Police have been banned from contacting officers after hours and on their days off, after employees complained of being mentally drained by the work toll. 

Victorian Police staff have won ‘the right to disconnect’ in the union’s latest negotiations which aim to support officers strike a better work-life balance. 

Managers will no longer be able to contact officers outside of work hours unless in an emergency or to check on their welfare. 

Victorian Police staff have won ‘the right to disconnect’ after growing evidence of the negative impact a culture of being constantly contactable was having on mental health

Sergeant Rachel Dunkinson, who has worked in the police force for 16 years, said being constantly contactable has added undue stress to her job. 

‘I don’t know anyone that doesn’t walk away from a day at work, when they’ve done [a big job] and it’s not on their mind, in their thinking about it,’ she told the ABC. 

‘So then to get a call at home because of something that needs to be chased up, or something that they just want to continue on while you’re not there, it’s just an added stress.’ 

Sergeant Dunkinson said she was usually contacted about an issue that could have waited until the next day, and the unnecessary intrusion made it hard to switch-off. 

Managers can only contact staff in the case of an emergency or to check on their welfare to support police officers strike a better work-life balance 

The right to disconnect, which was written into the enterprise bargaining agreement between the work force and the police, does have some exceptions. 

The agreements makes clear officers can be contacted for emergencies including bushfires, pandemics, terrorist attacks, or any similar event. 

However, employees can no longer be expected to answer calls about a piece of correspondence or the scheduling of work hours.

Wanye Gatt, secretary of the Police Association of Victoria, said the new right to disconnect was reminiscent of when he started at the force. 

Wanye Gatt, secretary of the Police Association of Victoria said the new provision is already having a positive impact on officer’s health and wellbeing

‘When I joined Victoria Police we didn’t have a culture that meant you rang people 24/7’, he said. 

‘We didn’t have (mobile) phones back then, we didn’t have the intrusive technology that we have today. We know we can do this.’ 

New efforts were taken to improve the mental health of emergency workers, prompted by growing evidence of the toll difficult work days were having.

Mr Gatt said the new provision was already having a positive impact on officer’s health and wellbeing and would support a long and productive career in the force. 

‘It’s really important that as much as possible – though you can’t all the time – but as much as possible we try and introduce some barriers so our members can wind down, so they can return to normal,’ he said.