Tired of taking work calls after office hours? Worry not — a law is on the way. NCP MP Supriya Sule introduced the Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha on Friday, aiming to give employees the legal right to ignore work-related calls, messages, and emails outside official hours and on holidays. The bill was tabled during a packed winter session that began on December 1, even as Parliament continues the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in 12 states.
At a time when the nation is debating work-life balance and endless arguments swirl over working hours, NCP MP Supriya Sule’s Right to Disconnect Bill arrives at a critical juncture. The bill highlights how digital tools, while offering flexibility, have fostered a culture of constant availability, contributing to sleep deprivation, stress, emotional exhaustion, “telepressure” to respond immediately, and “info-obesity” from nonstop monitoring of work messages.
Sule first introduced a similar proposal in 2019, but the updated bill reflects growing concern over worker well-being as digital communication continues to intensify. With India’s 48-hour workweek among the world’s most demanding, the legislation underscores the urgent need for boundaries between work and personal life.
The bill states that employees should not be obligated to reply to official communications outside of work hours or during holidays. It provides every worker with the right to decline calls and emails without the risk of disciplinary measures.
Provisions include:
After working hours, employees are not required to respond to calls, emails, or messages related to work.
An employee cannot be subjected to disciplinary measures for declining to answer.
The right encompasses all types of communication, including phone calls, text messages, emails, video calls, and more.
The proposal also suggests imposing a 1 percent penalty on the overall employee compensation for companies that violate this right.
If necessary, both employers and employees should come to a mutual agreement regarding emergency contact protocols.
The bill aims to safeguard employees’ personal time while providing a framework for genuine emergencies. A committee will establish mutually agreed rules for contacting staff outside office hours, and employees who work beyond agreed timings will be entitled to overtime pay at their normal wage rate.