Lok Sabha's 'Right to Disconnect' Bill: No Calls After Hours!

During Parliament's winter session on December 5, NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule tabled the private member's Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025, aiming to shield workers from constant digital demands. The legislation empowers employees to refuse non-emergency work communications after hours, addressing burnout amid 51% of India's workforce exceeding 49 hours weekly. It mandates companies with over 10 employees to form welfare committees for negotiating boundaries.​

The bill establishes an Employees’ Welfare Authority to enforce rights, conduct studies, and oversee compliance, with violators facing 1% of total employee remuneration as penalty. Employers and workers must agree on emergency contact rules, balancing flexibility with mental health via counseling and digital detox centers. Sule highlighted cases like Anna Sebastian Perayil's death from overwork, pushing for sustainable practices.​

Private member's bills rarely pass, but this revives global trends seen in France and Australia, potentially reshaping India's labor landscape toward better work-life harmony.​

Key Highlights

Legal right to ignore calls, emails, texts, video calls post-office hours/holidays​

No disciplinary action for disconnecting; applies to all electronic work communication​

Employees’ Welfare Authority to enforce, study, negotiate terms for firms >10 workers​

Penalty: 1% of total employee pay for violations; mutual emergency protocols required​

Addresses burnout: 78% affected, links to sleep loss, "telepressure" from digital culture​

Sources: Hindustan Times, NDTV, Drishti IAS​