A new bill in Parliament aims to give employees the legal right to switch off from work after hours—here’s what it means for India’s workforce
Image for representational purpose only. Photo Courtesy: File pic
A new bill has been introduced in the Indian Parliament that grants employees the power to ignore work calls, emails, and other communication beyond official working hours. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Supriya Sule introduced the Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025 in the Lok Sabha on December 5 as a private member’s bill, meaning it has not yet been debated or passed. The proposal directly addresses the rising culture of constant connectivity that increasingly blurs the boundaries between professional responsibilities and personal time.
The primary aim of the bill is to promote healthier work–life balance across India’s corporate and private sectors. It recognises an employee’s right to disengage after working hours as a legitimate and legally protected boundary. At the same time, the bill offers companies the space to negotiate terms suited to their operational needs and work culture. It seeks to bring more structure to modern workplace expectations by addressing unpaid overtime, setting clear policies for remote and hybrid work, and introducing counselling services along with digital detox initiatives to mitigate the growing effects of hyper-connectivity and burnout.
Under the proposed framework, the Right to Disconnect will apply to private-sector employees, ensuring that workers can switch off from official communication without fear of disciplinary action. To oversee the enforcement of these provisions, the bill proposes the establishment of an Employees’ Welfare Authority, a collaborative body involving the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the Ministry of Communications, and the Ministry of Labour and Employment. Its role would include monitoring compliance, ensuring dispute resolution, and guiding organisations as they adapt to the new norms.
Although the bill is still at the introductory stage, it has already sparked active conversation online. With hustle culture and the glorification of always being available becoming increasingly common in the past decade, many people view this proposal as a step toward prioritising mental well-being, reducing burnout, and restoring personal time.
Globally, the right to disconnect is not new. In 2017, France became the first country to formally recognise this protection in labour laws. Since then, countries such as Portugal, Italy, Australia, and others have passed similar legislation to safeguard workers from incessant digital demands and to reinforce the importance of rest in a hyper-connected world.
If passed, India’s Right to Disconnect Bill could mark a significant shift in the country’s work culture—one that acknowledges the need for healthier boundaries in an increasingly digital economy.
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