Supriya Sule Proposes Right to Disconnect Bill in Lok Sabha
Supriya Sule introduced the “Right to Disconnect” Bill in Lok Sabha, highlighting the need to protect employees from work calls after office hours.
A new discussion has started in the Lok Sabha about the growing problem of work-life imbalance in India. After ISH News highlighted Dream11’s rule of not disturbing employees during leave or vacation, a similar idea has now reached Parliament. On 5 December 2025, Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule introduced a private member’s bill called the “Right to Disconnect.”
The bill says that employees should not be forced to answer work calls, messages, or emails after office hours. It aims to reduce stress and help people maintain a healthy balance between personal and work life. The proposal includes granting employees the right to say “no” after work hours without facing any issues, setting up an Employees’ Welfare Authority to ensure that rules are followed, and conducting a national study on how much digital communication employees face after work.
The bill also states that companies with more than 10 workers must create clear work rules with employee input. Any work done after office hours must be counted as overtime and paid at the normal salary rate. It also proposes counselling services, digital detox centres, and fines up to 1% of a company’s total employee cost for breaking rules. It adds that employers can contact employees only in real emergencies under mutually agreed conditions.
On the same day, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor introduced another private member’s bill on employee welfare. He said that 51% of workers in India work over 49 hours a week, and 78% feel burned out. However, private member’s bills are rarely passed. Since 1947, only 14 have become law, the last in 1970.
