Supriya Sule Introduces ‘Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025’ in Lok Sabha to Protect Employees from After-Hours Work Pressure

Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MP Supriya Sule on Friday introduced a private member’s bill in the Lok Sabha seeking to grant employees the legal right to ignore work-related calls and emails beyond office hours.

Titled the Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025, the proposed legislation calls for the creation of an Employees’ Welfare Authority to safeguard workers from being obliged to respond to official communication after working hours or on holidays.

What the Bill Proposes

The bill aims to “confer the right on every employee to disconnect from work-related telephone calls and emails beyond work hours and on holidays.” Sule shared a video of her tabling the bill on X, saying it promotes a healthier work-life balance and aims to reduce burnout caused by an “always-on” digital work culture.

The introduction came on the fifth day of the Parliament’s Winter Session, which began on December 1. Sule also introduced two additional private members’ bills:

• Paternity and Paternal Benefits Bill, 2025 – proposes paid paternal leave, giving fathers the legal right to participate in early childcare.

• Code on Social Security (Amendment) Bill, 2025 – seeks recognition for platform-based gig workers as a distinct category, ensuring minimum wages, regulated work hours, social security, fair conditions and equitable contracts.

Another Bill Focuses on Overwork and Burnout

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also tabled a private member’s bill on Friday aimed at preventing burnout and protecting employee welfare by amending the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020.

Citing alarming statistics — including that 51% of India’s workforce clocks more than 49 hours a week, and 78% report burnout — Tharoor said overwork is harming workers’ physical and mental health. His bill seeks limits on working hours, a legally enforceable right to disconnect and stronger mental health and grievance redressal systems.

Will the Right to Disconnect Bill Become Law?

The Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025, is a private member’s bill. Such bills are introduced by MPs who are not ministers, and historically, very few become law. They are typically withdrawn after the government responds during debate.