Titled “The Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025,” the proposal gives employees the legal right to stop responding to work-related emails, calls or messages outside office hours
Supriya Sule said the Bill aims to protect employees’ rights while recognising employers’ operational needs, creating more respectful and sustainable work environments. File Pic
Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party NCP (SP) leader and Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule has introduced a private member’s Right to Disconnect Bill aimed at protecting employees from excessive digital work pressure and ensuring a healthier work–life balance, reported the ANI.
Titled “The Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025,” the proposal gives employees the legal right to stop responding to work-related emails, calls or messages outside office hours. It also allows penalties of 1 per cent of the total employee remuneration for companies that fail to comply, according to the ANI.
In a post on X, Sule said the Bill seeks to “reduce burnout caused by today’s digital culture” and improve overall quality of life.
The Bill argues that while modern communication technology offers flexibility, it has also blurred the boundaries between personal and professional life. It cites research showing that employees expected to be available round the clock often suffer from sleep deprivation, stress, emotional exhaustion and “telepressure” — the compulsion to check messages constantly, even on weekends and holidays. It also refers to “info-obesity”, a condition linked to overloading the brain with continuous digital communication, as per the ANI.
To restore balance, the Bill says employees must have the right to protect their personal time and decline work communications after hours. At the same time, it allows companies flexibility to negotiate terms suited to their work culture. It also proposes overtime pay at the normal wage rate if employees choose to work outside regular hours, the news agency reported.
The Bill further recommends counselling services to promote healthier digital habits and even suggests the creation of “digital detox centres” to help employees disconnect meaningfully.
Supriya Sule said the Bill aims to protect employees’ rights while recognising employers’ operational needs, creating more respectful and sustainable work environments.
Alongside this, she introduced two more private member’s Bill, the Paternity and Paternal Benefits Bill, 2025, which proposes paid paternal leave to allow fathers to play an active role in early childcare, support new mothers and encourage flexible parenting.
The Code on Social Security (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which seeks to classify platform-based gig workers as a separate category entitled to minimum wages, regulated working hours, social security, fair contracts and safer working conditions.
Many other Lok Sabha members also introduced their private member’s Bills during the session.
(with ANI inputs)
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