At a time when long work hours and constant connectivity are pushing many employees toward stress and burnout, a new proposal in Parliament has caught attention. The Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Saturday, aiming to give employees the legal right to ignore work calls, messages, and emails beyond office hours. The bill seeks to ensure that workers are not obligated to respond to any work-related electronic communication after working hours or on holidays.
What is the Right to Disconnect Bill?
The bill calls for the creation of an Employees’ Welfare Authority, which would safeguard workers’ rights if the bill is passed and ensure employers comply with the proposed “right to disconnect.” The authority would be responsible for framing guidelines and resolving disputes between employees and organizations regarding after-hours communication.
NCP MP Supriya Sule, who introduced the bill and shared a video of the moment on X, said it aims to promote “a better quality of life and a healthier work-life balance by reducing burnout caused by today’s digital culture.”
Will the Right to Disconnect Bill pass? Understanding its chances
The Right to Disconnect Bill is a private member's bill, meaning it was introduced by a Parliament member who is not a minister. In India, private member’s bills are rarely passed into law, most are either debated and withdrawn or do not move forward after the government responds. Despite the uncertainty around its passage, the bill has reignited an important conversation about workplace mental health and digital overwork.
The bill was introduced on the fifth day of the Winter Session of Parliament, which began on December 1. Along with it, Supriya Sule also presented two other private member’s bills:
- Paternity and Paternal Benefits Bill, 2025 proposes paid paternal leave to help fathers participate in early childcare.
- Code on Social Security (Amendment) Bill, 2025 seeks to recognize gig workers as a separate category and ensure minimum wages, regulated working hours, social security, and fair contracts.
A day earlier, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor introduced a separate private member's bill focusing on employee welfare and preventing burnout. His proposal aims to amend the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 to limit working hours and legally safeguard the right to disconnect.
Tharoor pointed out alarming statistics, stating that 51% of India’s workforce clocks more than 49 hours a week, while 78% report experiencing burnout. Referring to the tragic death of young professional Anna Sebastian Perayil, he wrote on X that overwork is harming the physical and mental health of India’s workforce.
“The Bill seeks to limit working hours, legally secure the Right to Disconnect, and establish strong grievance and mental-health support systems,” Tharoor added.
Also Read: No calls, emails after office hours, Right to Disconnect Bill introduced in Lok Sabha
