The Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025, introduced in the Lok Sabha, aims to give employees the legal right to refuse work calls and messages after office hours. The proposal comes amid rising concerns over burnout, long working hours, and India’s “always-on” work culture.
A major discussion has started in India about workplace burnout, long hours and mental health. In this background, a new law has been proposed to give employees a legal right to ignore calls, messages and emails from office after working hours.
This proposal, called the Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Friday by NCP MP Supriya Sule.
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The bill suggests setting up an Employees’ Welfare Authority and allows workers to refuse all work-related communication after their shift ends or on holidays without any fear of punishment or negative action from their employer.
The bill has come at a time when people are questioning India’s work culture more than ever. The conversation around work stress became stronger after the unfortunate death of an EY employee in Pune, which created national shock and raised concerns about extreme pressure in corporate jobs.
Many workers today feel trapped in an “always-on” culture because of constant digital connectivity. But while this bill tries to protect employees from this nonstop pressure, it is completely opposite to what some well-known industry leaders have been saying recently.
Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy and L&T CEO SN Subrahmanyan have openly supported longer working hours, asking young Indians to work “70 to 90 hours a week”, and even referring to China’s “9-9-6” working model as an example for India’s economic growth.
The idea behind this bill is similar to what countries like Australia recently introduced under their own “Right to Disconnect” rules, made to protect workers in an age where everyone is constantly connected through technology.
Many Indian workers clearly feel the need for such a law. According to a survey conducted last year by global job platform Indeed, 88% of employees said they are regularly contacted by their companies after work hours.
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The same survey showed that 85% of employees receive work-related messages even when they are on sick leave or on holiday.
The pressure to respond is very real, because 79% of employees also said that ignoring such messages could
“detrimental to their career progression or future promotions”.
The survey also showed how employers are slowly changing their thinking. Around 66% employers fear that productivity might fall if employees stop responding after hours. But at the same time, a large 81% worry that they will lose talented employees if they ignore work-life balance concerns.
Interestingly, 79% employers said they actually support the idea of a “Right to Disconnect” policy, and many of them said they are ready to give extra compensation to workers who stay available after work hours.
There is also a clear generational difference in how people see after-hours communication. The survey found that Baby Boomers (born 1946–1964) feel more positive about being contacted after work, and 88% said they feel “appreciated” when their employer reaches out to them after office hours.
But younger workers, especially Gen Z (born 1997–2012), strongly disagree with this culture. Around 63% said they would think about quitting their job if their personal boundaries are not respected by their employers.
While the Right to Disconnect Bill was the main attraction on Friday, several other important private members’ bills were also introduced in Parliament on issues related to health, education and human rights.
On women’s health, two MPs brought forward two different bills. Congress MP Kadiyam Kavya introduced the Menstrual Benefits Bill, 2024, which aims to provide better facilities for women in workplaces during their periods.
LJP MP Shambhavi Choudhary proposed another bill that demands paid menstrual leave for working women and female students, and also asks for proper hygiene facilities in all institutions.
In the field of education, Congress MP Manickam Tagore presented a bill to remove Tamil Nadu from the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) requirement for undergraduate medical admissions.
This proposal came soon after the Tamil Nadu government decided to approach the Supreme Court because the President recently refused to approve a similar state law seeking exemption from NEET.
Two other bills addressed criminal justice and journalist safety. DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi introduced a bill asking for the complete abolition of the death penalty, explaining that the Law Commission itself had said that life imprisonment works as an equal deterrent.
Independent MP Vishaldada Prakashbapu Patil introduced the Journalist (Prevention of Violence and Protection) Bill, 2024, which seeks strong protection for journalists and their property from attacks or threats.
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It is important to note that private member bills—laws proposed by MPs who are not part of the government—rarely become actual laws in India. In most cases, these bills are withdrawn later after the government responds or promises to look into the issue.
But even if these bills do not pass, they play a very important role in drawing attention to serious social, legal and workplace issues that need urgent discussion.
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