NCP MP Supriya Sule on Friday introduced the Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025 in the Lok Sabha, seeking to give workers across India the legal freedom to refuse work-related calls, messages and emails outside official working hours and on holidays. The private member’s bill was tabled during a packed winter session that began on December 1, even as Parliament meets under the shadow of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in 12 states.
What the Right to Disconnect Bill proposes
At the heart of the bill is a simple idea: employees should not be compelled to remain available for work communication beyond their scheduled hours. Under the proposed law, workers would have the right to ignore official calls, texts, emails or video messages after office hours without facing any form of disciplinary action.
The bill covers all forms of digital communication and extends to both private and public-sector employees. This right, Sule argues, is crucial in an era where digital tools have blurred the boundaries between professional and personal time.
The bill also proposes a penalty of one per cent of total employee remuneration for organisations that violate this right, placing legal responsibility on employers to respect workers’ downtime.
Emergency communication framework
While prioritising personal time, the bill acknowledges that genuine emergencies may arise. It therefore calls for the formation of a dedicated committee to establish mutually agreed-upon rules for contacting employees outside normal hours.
Employers and employees would need to negotiate specific timings and circumstances under which out-of-hours contact is acceptable. Importantly, the bill states that if employees choose to work beyond regular hours, they must be compensated through overtime pay at the normal wage rate.
Why the bill is needed
In its accompanying statement, the proposal highlights the rise of a “culture of constant availability” fuelled by smartphones, messaging apps and remote working tools. While digital connectivity has improved flexibility, it has also expanded the workday into evenings, weekends and personal time.
The bill cites research linking continuous connectivity to:
- Sleep deprivation
- Emotional exhaustion
- Increased stress
- “Telepressure”, or the compulsion to respond immediately
- “Info-obesity”, caused by constant monitoring of work messages
Sule previously introduced a similar bill in 2019, but the renewed proposal reflects growing concern about workers’ well-being as digital communication intensifies across sectors.
India’s long-standing work-hour challenge
India currently follows a 48-hour work week, among the more demanding standards globally. Labour experts say that without structural protections, the increasing digitalisation of workplaces risks overextending employees further, especially in high-pressure sectors such as technology, aviation, customer services and corporate management.
The new bill seeks to bring India closer to international norms, with several countries—including France, Spain and Portugal—implementing varying forms of the right to disconnect to safeguard work–life balance.
Growing debate on work–life boundaries
The introduction of the bill has sparked debate among professionals, HR leaders and labour organisations. Supporters argue that it is essential for mental health and long-term productivity, while some employers believe flexibility is already built into modern contracts.
If the bill progresses, it may become one of India’s most significant labour reforms in the digital era, reshaping how organisations manage communication and employee expectations.
As Parliament continues its winter session, legislators are expected to discuss the broader implications of the proposal, particularly for India’s expanding digital economy.