Right to Disconnect Bill introduced in Lok Sabha

• 08 Dec 2025
• 93 Views

On 5 December, at the Lok Sabha, a private member’s bill was introduced. This bill aimed at authorizing employees to refrain from work-related calls and emails outside of the office hours. Members of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have the authority to introduce bills on issues they believe require legislative action. However, most private member bills are often withdrawn after the government responds to the proposed legislation. 

NCP MP Supriya Sule has introduced the “Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025.” This bill aims to establish an Employees’ Welfare Authority and proposes that every employee has the right to disconnect from work-related calls and emails outside of official working hours and on holidays. Additionally, the bill includes provisions that allow employees to decline to respond to such communications and addresses related matters.

Last year, in August, Australia passed the Right to Disconnect rules. This development had renewed the discussions on the work-life balance in India, especially as concerns over long working hours intensified after a Pune EY employee’s death, alongside contrasting views expressed by industry leaders.

According to Australian law, the workers can decline calls or messages after hours. This is a key safeguard in an always-connected digital environment.

Survey Conducted for Right to Disconnect Policy

Last year, global job platform Indeed conducted a survey. This survey found that there was a strong support for a formal Right to Disconnect policy in India. As per Indeed findings, a total of 79 percent employers view measures to limit after hours communication positively. 

This comes in light of renewed discussions about overwork that were sparked by an EY employee’s tragic death. Their death had highlighted the negative impact of constant availability on stress and burnout of employees. The survey revealed that after hours communication is common. A total of 88 percent of employees reported they are routinely contacted outside of work hours. 

Additionally, 85 percent indicated they receive messages even when they are on sick leave or during their vacations. Despite this prevalence, many employees feel they are under pressure to respond. A substantial 79 percent expressed concern that ignoring after hours communication could hurt their career prospects, lead to delay in their work or even negatively impact their future promotions.

Generational Divide: Different Generational, Different Views

A clear generational divide was found during the survey. Baby Boomers (i.e., those individuals born between 1946 and 1964) were the most likely to feel appreciated when contacted outside of office hours. A whopping 88 percent of them expressed this sentiment. 

On the contrary, over half of Gen Z respondents (i.e., those individuals who were born between 1997 and 2012) advocated for stronger boundaries between their work time and their personal time. Significantly, a total of 63 percent of Gen Z workers gave the indication they would consider quitting if their right to disconnect was not respected by the employer.

Employers Fear of Losing Talent

Employers are quite aware of this shift. As per the survey, 81 percent of them are concerned about losing skilled talent if they do not give priority to the work and life balance of their employees. However, many employers still feel compelled to reach out even after hours due to deadlines as well as stakeholder demands. 66 percent of these employees feared that productivity might decline if they did not do this. 

Despite these pressures, most employers recognize the importance of having disconnection policies in place. In fact, 81 percent of them had stated they would offer additional compensation to employees who remain accessible outside of work hours.

Debate Regarding Work Hours in India

With the introduction of the Right to Disconnect Bill in Lok Sabha, the ongoing debate over workplace expectations in India has become all the more intense. The discussion comes in response to comments from business leaders like Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy and L&T CEO SN Subrahmanyan. 

They have recently advocated for workweeks of 70 to even 90 hours. Murthy, who has long supported this idea, mentioned the 9-9-6 work model from China in his recent interview. He suggested that longer working hours could help to accelerate economic growth of India.

Source: India Today