Digital Leash or Legal Right? India Debates Right to Disconnect Bill

A renewed push for the ‘Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025’ in Parliament has decisively reopened the national conversation on work-life boundaries, highlighting the severe strain of the “always-on” digital economy.

Introduced as a private member’s bill by NCP MP Supriya Sule, the legislation proposes to grant employees the legal right to ignore all work-related electronic communication outside their designated working hours without fear of professional penalty.

While such bills seldom become law, the proposal is successfully forcing Corporate India to confront the widespread issue of employee burnout, often linked to rising levels of “telepressure” and “info-obesity.”

Core Provisions and Global Precedence

The core of the proposed bill aims to protect workers’ personal time and mental health.

Key provisions include the right to refuse work calls and emails after hours, compensation with overtime pay if an employee chooses to work beyond the fixed schedule, and the imposition of significant penalties—up to one per cent of a company’s total employee remuneration—for non-compliance.

Furthermore, the bill mandates companies with over ten employees to negotiate and define clear after-hours communication protocols.

It also proposes the creation of an Employees’ Welfare Authority to oversee compliance and establish counselling services and “digital detox centres.”

India is following a global trend, as countries like France (a pioneer in 2017), Australia, Ireland, and Belgium have already enacted similar laws.

Right to Disconnect Bill: Corporate India’s Divided Response

The reintroduction of the bill comes at a crucial time, following highly publicized debates about long working hours.

The corporate response is largely bifurcated. Many progressive companies, including the RPG Group and Mercedes-Benz India, support the intent, emphasizing that clear boundaries enhance employee well-being and, ultimately, productivity.

Companies like CEAT, for instance, have proactively implemented an “8 pm to 8 am no-work” policy.

However, experts and leaders in fast-paced sectors like manufacturing, healthcare, and BFSI (Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance) caution that a uniform law may clash with operational realities.

They argue that critical emergencies—such as machine breakdowns or urgent client demands—do not respect fixed hours.

Concerns are also raised regarding junior staff who may fear using their ‘right’ due to implicit pressure, thus risking being labeled “not a team player” in a competitive environment.

Many believe that genuine change will stem not from legislation alone, but from a fundamental shift in workplace culture, where leaders model sustainable work practices.

The Road Ahead

The bill’s uncertain legislative future has not diminished its impact.

By bringing issues of chronic overwork, digital exhaustion, and the blurry lines of remote and hybrid work into the legislative spotlight, the Right to Disconnect Bill has set the stage for crucial policy evolution.

It mandates a systemic examination of how India’s workforce operates, ensuring that the relentless pace of the digital economy does not permanently eclipse the right to a personal life.

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