Amid debates over the new labour code, yet another proposal in Parliament has sparked nationwide debate. NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule introduced the Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha on Friday.
The Bill aims to recognise that workers should be formally entitled to disconnect beyond work hours. Through this, Sule aims to address the growing concerns about diminishing work-life balance among the white-collar workforce.
Sule proposed that a mandate should be passed for employers not to take disciplinary action against their employees for ignoring calls and messages after work hours, according to a People Matters report.
The development comes at a time when several corporate leaders are seen openly advocating for long working hours. The Bill focuses on factors such as round-the-clock responsiveness to sleep deprivation, emotional fatigue and heightened “telepressure”, a term used to describe the compulsion to check and respond to digital communication at all times.
The legislation aims to strike a balance between employee well-being and organisational needs. It sets clear expectations without disrupting essential operations. Under the new framework, employees are not required to answer work calls or emails outside designated hours, nor can they be penalised for choosing not to respond. Employers may reach out only during mutually agreed “out-of-work periods”, particularly in emergencies. Every organisation must form an Employees’ Welfare Committee to formalise these guidelines. If workers opt to respond after hours, they are entitled to overtime pay at the standard rate. Any breach of these rules could result in a penalty amounting to 1% of the organisation’s total employee remuneration.
It also calls for bodies such as “digital detox centres” to offer counselling sessions on healthy use of technology. To ensure effective implementation, the Bill proposes establishing an Employees’ Welfare Authority that includes representatives from the labour, electronics, and communications ministries.
Sule raised the issue at the Parliament earlier in July, too, stating that the matter has gone unaddressed and needs to be taken up seriously by the government.
