- By Shibra Arshad
- Mon, 08 Dec 2025 06:18 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
A Private member’s bill, moved during the packed winter session of Parliament, seeks to make ‘No’ to work-related calls, messages and emails after office hours and on holidays, a legal right.
The Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025, was tabled by the NCP leader, Supriya Sule, on Friday during the winter session, which started on December 1.
What Is Right To Disconnect Bill, 2025
As per the bill, if it is cleared from both houses and converted into an Act, employees will have a legal right to refuse to respond to official communication by his or her company after work-hours or on holidays without any fear of disciplinary action.
The Right To Disconnect Has Following Provisions
- Workers can completely switch off after office hours – no need to check or reply to work calls, emails or messages.
-Refusing to respond outside working hours will not lead to any punishment or warning.
-This protection covers every type of work communication – phone calls, WhatsApp, SMS, emails, Teams/Zoom calls, everything.
-If the job really needs an emergency contact, the employer and employee must mutually decide and agree on clear rules in advance
According to the proposed bill, the company will have to face a penalty of 1 per cent of Employee’s total remuneration if it violates the soon-to-be employees’ legal right.
Will Company Be Able To Contact Employee After Office
The bill provides a mechanism for an emergency contact as it attempts to protect employees’ personal time. The proposed bill suggests that a committee should be formed to come up with the terms and conditions for the emergency contact outside work hours. As per the bill, both employees and the employer should agree on the terms and conditions of the emergency contact.
Employers can contact workers outside regular hours only if both sides have already discussed and agreed on specific emergency timings in advance. If an employee decides to work extra hours, the company will have to pay overtime at the normal salary rate.
Why Right To Disconnect Bill Was Introduced
The argument given in Parliament as a reason to bring the right to disconnect bill said that, besides providing flexibility, digital tools have brought a culture of constant availability. The accompanying statements, quoting research, said that this has created-
- Sleep deprivation.
- Stress and emotional exhaustion.
- Telepressure, the pressure to respond immediately
- “Info-obesity”, caused by constant monitoring of work messages.