In a significant move addressing the modern workplace's demands, a proposal to legally empower employees to switch off from work after office hours was tabled in India's Parliament. On Friday, Lok Sabha Member of Parliament Supriya Sule introduced a private member's bill, titled the 'Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025', aiming to establish clear boundaries between professional and personal life in the digital age.
Core Provisions and Proposed Penalties
The central idea of the legislation is straightforward: employees should have no obligation to respond to work-related calls, emails, or messages outside their designated working hours and on holidays. To ensure compliance, the bill outlines consequences for employers. It suggests a penalty of one per cent of the total remuneration of the organisation's employees for violations, making it a financially significant deterrent.
The bill argues that the expectation of constant availability has become a structural flaw in contemporary work culture. While digital tools offer flexibility, they have also fostered an environment where workers feel pressured to be perpetually connected, leading to what research cites as sleep issues, emotional exhaustion, and cognitive overload termed "telepressure."
Flexibility, Overtime Pay, and Support Systems
Recognizing the diverse needs of different industries, the proposal does not impose a one-size-fits-all rule. Instead, it allows room for negotiation between employers and employees to set specific terms of service suitable for their work models, provided there is transparency and consent.
For instances where employees voluntarily work beyond official hours, the bill mandates that overtime pay at the standard wage rate must apply. This clause aims to check the growing trend of unpaid overtime exacerbated by digital connectivity.
Beyond just setting boundaries, the draft law proposes proactive measures. It includes the creation of an employees' welfare authority to promote the right to disconnect. Additional provisions envision counselling services to educate on reasonable technology use and even the establishment of digital detox centres to help workers minimise distractions and focus on personal relationships.
Broader Legislative Agenda and Bill's Significance
Alongside the Right to Disconnect Bill, Supriya Sule introduced two other private member's proposals in the Lok Sabha. The first is the Paternity and Paternal Benefits Bill, 2025, seeking to introduce paid paternal leave and support shared caregiving. The second proposes an amendment to the Social Security Code to classify platform-based gig workers as a distinct group entitled to rights concerning minimum wages, regulated hours, and fair contracts.
While private member's bills rarely get enacted into law—most are withdrawn after a government response—they serve as crucial markers of emerging public issues. The Right to Disconnect Bill highlights a societal shift already in motion, forcing a conversation on how digital communication has fundamentally altered employment terms. The debate it sparks extends beyond emails and calls; it is about reclaiming personal time and establishing sustainable work-life practices for India's workforce.
