What Is The Right To Disconnect Bill 2025 And Can It Become A Law?

A proposed legislation recently introduced as a private member's bill, if passed by the Parliament, can significantly change work culture in India, especially for private sector employees.

Supriya Sule, Lok Sabha MP from the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction), introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha on Friday, Dec. 5, seeking legal right for employees to refuse work-related calls, messages and emails after scheduled office hours. It was one of the private members’ bills tabled during the ongoing winter session that began on Dec. 1.

"The Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025, provides every employee the right to disconnect from work-related electronic communications. It fosters a better quality of life and a healthier work-life balance by reducing the burnout caused by today's digital culture," Sule said in a post on X on Friday.

The bill was one of the three ‘forward-looking’ private member bills introduced by Sule for the welfare of employees.

The bill proposes that employees should not be compelled to respond to official communication beyond their work hours. The bill lays out several provisions to promote a healthier work-life balance, while discouraging burnout culture amid the rising dependency on technology.

Here are the key provisions of the bill:

• The ‘Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025’ proposes to establish an employees’ welfare authority to confer the right on every employee to refuse work-related calls and emails beyond work hours, as well as on holidays.

• As per the bill, employees should enjoy the right to refuse work-related calls and emails after office hours without fear of any punitive action.

• The right to disconnect should apply to all forms of communication like phone calls, messages, emails and video calls, among others.

• The emergency communication procedures should be mutually decided by the employee and the employer.

• The bill also proposes a punitive measure for violation of the right by employers. A penalty of 1% of the total remuneration of the employee should be levied against any such violation, as per the bill.

As per the accompanying statement of the proposed legislation, the rising dependency on the digital ecosystem has led to a culture of constant availability. This has raised concerns over the quality of life and work-life balance for employees. The bill also outlines health issues based on studies linked to sleep deprivation, stress and emotional exhaustion.

The bill also highlights the pressure to respond immediately, known as ‘telepressure’, and ‘info-obesity’, a condition caused by an urge to constantly monitor work messages. So, the bill is aimed at addressing health issues surrounding burnout, stress induced by work pressure and digital culture.   

Earlier, in 2019, Sule had introduced a similar bill. The Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025, is an upgraded version of the earlier legislation focused on promoting the well-being of employees amid a rising digital culture and dependency on technology.

However, there are slim chances of a private member’s bill becoming a law. A private member's bill is a bill introduced by an individual member of the Parliament other than a minister. When a bill is introduced by a minister, it is called a government bill. As per the parliamentary system, private member bills are taken up on Fridays when Parliament is in session. Private members’ bills rarely become law and are often withdrawn after a response from the government.