When Lizzy Grant came home from work, she would spend hours checking her phone for last-minute roster updates and responding to emails from her boss.

But all of this is now a thing of the past.

From Monday, workers across Australia can refuse to monitor, read or respond to work communication outside of paid hours – unless doing so is unreasonable – as the federal government’s workplace reforms come into force.

The changes, which include a “right to disconnect”, are expected to drastically reduce the number of unpaid hours Australians work.

Ms Grant switched from working full-time in the public service, to part-time in airline customer service because she wanted to spend more time taking care of her elderly mother and watching her grandchildren grow up.

But she found her 20-hour week would often balloon to a 40-hour workload.

She was constantly replying to emails and texts about technical airline issues like dangerous goods and load controls, while staying vigilant for sudden roster changes.

“I am restless, I can’t sleep at night, I am anxious,” she said.

“I’m not a CEO, I just feel like I have a high-powered job.

“But really I’m just a bloody customer service officer for an airline – underpaid and overworked.”

When she tried to talk to higher-ups about the issue, they would tell her all of these tasks were still part of her responsibilities.

Each Australian worker is believed to perform an average of 5.4 hours per week of unpaid work, which equates to $131 billion.

Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt the right to disconnect ensured the law kept pace with technology.

“What’s not acceptable is for people to be taking constant calls or constant emails with an expectation that they’re going to be monitoring and responding, when they’re not getting paid to do it,” he told reporters in Queensland on Sunday.

Australian Council of Trade Unions President Michele O’Neil says this is a huge win for workers during a cost-of-living crisis.

“More money in your pocket, more time with your loved ones and more freedom to live your life,” she said.

Ms Grant worries her workplace could try getting around the laws, but remains optimistic she will be able to put her phone down when she’s with her grandkids.

“I’d love to take them to the beach for a swim, spend quality time, watch Moana together or just do nothing with them,” she said.

The government’s reforms also improve rights for gig workers and provisions for casual employees to transition into permanent employment.

Business Council of Australia chief executive Bran Black says this puts Australia’s competitiveness at risk.

“At a time when productivity has flatlined and insolvencies are increasing, we can’t risk making it harder to do business with added red tape,” he said.

This post was originally published on Michael West.