A fresh push for a healthier work-life balance entered Parliament on Friday with the introduction of a private member&rsquo;s bill that aims to give employees the legal right to ignore official calls and emails outside office hours.
NCP MP Supriya Sule introduced the Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025, in the Lok Sabha, proposing a framework that protects workers from after-hours digital work demands. The bill calls for the establishment of an Employees&rsquo; Welfare Authority to ensure that staff members are not pressured to respond to work-related communication during personal time or on holidays.
The proposal grants employees the right to decline phone calls, emails, or any form of work engagement beyond designated working hours. It also outlines supporting mechanisms to safeguard these boundaries.
Private members&rsquo; bills rarely become law, but they often highlight issues that require national discussion. The move comes at a time when Parliament is in the middle of a packed winter session that began on December 1. The session is being held amid intense debate over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls across 12 states.
With 15 sittings scheduled until December 19, the new bill has added a crucial conversation to the legislative agenda, whether India is ready to legally enforce personal time in an increasingly connected work culture.

New bill in Lok Sabha seeks to protect employees from after-hours work pressure

India Debates Legal Right to Disconnect After Work

New bill in Lok Sabha seeks to protect employees from after-hours work pressure

December 6, 2025 | 20:18 IST