On 5-12-2025, the Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025, was tabled in the Lok Sabha. This Bill was introduced by Mrs. Supriya Sule, Member of Parliament, proposing rights that aim to pay respect employees’ personal space by recognizing disengaging or disconnect as their legal right, while allowing companies flexibility to negotiate terms suited to their work culture. It also addresses unpaid overtime, mandates policies for remote work, and introduces counselling and digital detox initiatives to mitigate the adverse effects of hyper-connectivity.
Key Highlights of the Right to Disconnect Bill
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This Bill defines various key terms such as:
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Out of work hours: time outside contractually agreed work hours or decided schedule.
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Authority: the Employees’ Welfare Authority established under the Act.
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Company: entity registered under the Companies Act, 2013.
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Society: entity registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
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The Bill mandates the creation of an Employees’ Welfare Authority, a central body ensuring that employee dignity and work life balance are protected in the digital age.
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The Authority is entrusted with a wide range of responsibilities, including:
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Oversee implementation of the right to disconnect across companies and societies.
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Formulate negotiation charters between employers and employees to define out of work hour protocols.
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Conduct baseline studies on digital tool usage outside work hours to assess the impact of hyper-connectivity.
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Promote welfare measures such as counselling services, awareness programs, and digital detox initiatives.
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Prepare a charter within one year of its constitution to guide agreements between employers and employees.
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Disseminate knowledge and information about digital communication tools to State Governments, companies, and societies.
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Section 7 of this Bill establishes that every employee enjoys a legal right to disconnect from work-related communications once their agreed working hours have ended.
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Employers can reach out after hours, only during mutually agreed out of work windows, whether through telecom, video calls, emails, or messages.
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Employees, however, are under no obligation to respond, and choosing not to engage cannot result in any disciplinary action. If no agreement is reached, the Charter will clearly specify normal out of work hours, ensuring employees can disconnect or be fairly compensated with overtime if they choose to respond.
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Section 11 states that, if employees choose to respond during these periods, they are entitled to overtime pay at the normal wage rate, thereby preventing exploitation and ensuring fair compensation for additional work.
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The Bill addresses the challenges of remote work by requiring mutually agreed policies and awareness programmes on digital tool use. It also mandates counselling services and Digital Detox Centres to support employee well-being and healthier technology habits.
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To ensure strict compliance, the Bill imposes financial sanctions on companies or societies that fail to define the required conditions in their Charters or remote work policies, or that violate any provision of the Act.
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The penalty is fixed at 1% of the total remuneration paid to employees, under Section 19 serving as a significant financial deterrent against non-compliance.