Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) on Friday introduced a private member’s bill that could transform how India approaches work-life balance. Her proposal seeks to give employees a legal right to ignore work-related calls, messages, and emails outside designated office hours.
What the Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025 Proposes
Titled the Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025, the legislation calls for the creation of an employees’ welfare authority. This body would safeguard workers from being legally obligated to respond to digital communication after work hours or during holidays.
Sharing a video of the moment she tabled the bill, Sule wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the proposal aims to “foster a better quality of life and a healthier work-life balance” by reducing digital burnout, a challenge increasingly felt in always-connected workplaces.
The bill was brought forward on the fifth day of Parliament’s winter session, which began on 1 December.
Other Employee-Centric Bills Introduced by Sule
Alongside the Right to Disconnect Bill, Sule also presented two additional private member’s bills focused on strengthening labour protections:
- Paternity and Paternal Benefits Bill, 2025 – Proposes paid paternal leave, giving fathers a legal right to be present during early childcare.
- Code on Social Security (Amendment) Bill, 2025 – Seeks formal recognition of platform-based gig workers as a distinct category, ensuring minimum wages, regulated work hours, social security cover, and fair contractual terms.
Together, these proposals attempt to respond to evolving family structures, modern work patterns, and the growing gig economy.
Shashi Tharoor Moves Similar Bill on Preventing Burnout
On the same day, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor introduced another private member’s bill addressing employee welfare. His proposal seeks amendments to the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020, aiming to limit excessive work hours, guarantee the right to disconnect, and establish mental-health support systems.
Citing worrying figures, Tharoor noted that 51% of India’s workforce logs over 49 hours a week, while 78% reportedly experiences burnout. He referenced the recent tragic death of young professional Anna Sebastian Perayil as a stark reminder of the toll of chronic overwork.
Will the Right to Disconnect Bill Become Law?
Despite the rising conversation around burnout and worker protection, the Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025 remains a private member’s bill. Such bills—introduced by MPs who are not ministers—rarely pass into law and are often withdrawn after the government issues its response.
Even so, the bill has sparked fresh debate: Should India redefine the boundaries between work and personal time in an era where smartphones blur the line?
If adopted, the legislation could mark a significant shift in how workplaces function across the country.
