The Right to Disconnect Bill: Could This Change India’s Work-Life Culture for Good?

Here’s what the Bill includes

Employees can choose not to respond to work-related communication outside of official hours, on weekends, or during holidays — and employers cannot penalise them for it.

That means no subtle intimidation, no lost opportunities, and no penalties for simply respecting personal boundaries.

The Bill has gained urgency in light of the heartbreaking death of a 26-year-old Chartered Accountant earlier this year, bringing India’s conversation on overwork into sharp focus.

Research shows that continuous availability heightens stress, affects sleep, and leads to “telepressure,” the compulsion to instantly reply to every notification.

However, the Bill doesn’t leave employers in the dark.

It proposes well-defined emergency protocols so that crucial communication still happens responsibly.

It also requires overtime pay for extra work and introduces penalties: up to 1% of total workforce compensation, for companies that ignore these rules.

Support for the Bill is rising, and examples from Europe show that boundaries like these can improve well-being without harming productivity or economic progress.

But there’s a catch: the Bill is a Private Members’ Bill, and history hasn’t been kind to them.

Only 14 have ever been passed in independent India, and none have made it through both Houses since 1970.

Now the bigger question becomes: Should the right to disconnect be a legal mandate in India? Is it time companies rethink their idea of productivity? Do employees need a law to protect personal boundaries, or should organisations lead this shift voluntarily?

And if this Bill were put to a public vote — how would you vote?