A private member’s Bill aimed at allowing employees to refrain from attending to work-related calls and emails after office hours was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Friday.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Supriya Sule introduced the “Right to Disconnect Bill 2025”, which seeks to establish an Employees’ Welfare Authority and proposes granting every employee the right to disconnect from work-related calls and emails beyond official work hours and on holidays. It also includes provisions allowing employees to refuse to respond to such communications.
Australia had passed the Right to Disconnect rules last year with focus on work-life balance. The Australian law lets workers decline calls or messages after hours, a key safeguard in an always-connected digital environment. Concerns over long hours grew in India as well after a corporate employee’s death and contrasting views from industry leaders.
Pertinently, a survey conducted last year by global job platform Indeed had found strong support in India for a formal "Right to Disconnect" policy. According to the findings, 79 per cent of employers viewed such a measure favourably.
The survey showed that after-hours communication is widespread with 88 per cent of employees saying they were routinely contacted outside work timings and 85 per cent reported receiving messages even during sick leave or holidays. However, many said they were under pressure to respond with 79 per cent apprehensive that ignoring such communication could harm their career prospects, delay work or affect future promotions.
A clear generational divide was also evident in the survey. While people born between 1946 and 1964 were the most likely to feel appreciated when contacted beyond office hours (88 per cent), 63 per cent of Gen Z workers said they would consider quitting if their right to disconnect was not respected. The debate over the issue is likely to intensify with the introduction of the Right to Disconnect Bill.
Another workplace-related private member Bill, the Menstrual Benefits Bill, 2024, introduced by Congress MP Kadiyam Kavya, aims to provide workplace facilities and support for women during menstruation. The Vill seeks to establish a legal framework to ensure specific benefits for women workers during their menstrual period.
Also read: BJP MP tables Bill in Rajya Sabha to amend Constitution
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