Supriya Sule Introduces ‘Right to Disconnect’ Bill to Protect Employees from After-Hours Work Pressure

New Delhi, December 6, 2025— Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule has introduced a private member’s legislation aimed at giving Indian employees the right to step away from work-related communication once their official hours end. Tabled in the Lower House on Friday, the Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025 proposes that companies violating these rules would face a penalty equal to one per cent of their total employee remuneration.

The Bill states that every employee should have the freedom to refuse work calls, messages or emails beyond office hours, without fear of consequences. Sule argued that the rapid spread of digital tools has blurred the line between personal and professional life, leading to burnout, stress and continuous mental fatigue.

She highlighted that many workers feel compelled to remain reachable at all times, a behaviour often described as “telepressure.” Studies cited in the Bill warn that constant monitoring of emails and messages may overload the brain, creating a condition termed “info-obesity.”

According to the Bill’s objective, protecting personal time is essential for a healthier lifestyle, but it must also align with the diverse work cultures of companies. It suggests that firms and employees should mutually define out-of-hours expectations, ensuring flexibility while respecting worker rights.

The legislation also calls for overtime compensation if employees agree to work beyond regular hours. Additionally, it recommends counselling programmes to help people use digital tools responsibly and proposes setting up digital detox centres to help individuals disconnect and improve their well-being.

Sule said the Bill aims to ease tensions between personal and professional commitments by legally recognising employees’ right to disconnect. Along with this, she introduced two other private member’s Bills: the Paternity and Paternal Benefits Bill, 2025, which mandates paid paternal leave, and an amendment to the Code on Social Security, which seeks fair wages, regulated work hours and social protections for gig and platform workers.

Several other MPs also placed their private member’s Bills before the House on the same day.