A bill has been proposed by Nationalist Congress Party MP Supriya Sule on “India’s Right to Disconnect”, which means that employees can officially ignore any kind of communication, such as emails, calls, or messages, from their workplace after working hours without facing any penalty. The bill has been proposed to form an Employees Welfare Authority to monitor the compliance of the bill. In case of non-compliance, the complaints will be investigated, and a penalty will be imposed. The goal of the bill is to focus on the work-life balance of employees, addressing digital overload and burnout by forming clear boundaries between personal and professional life. This kind of law is already there in many countries, such as Italy, Portugal, Australia, France, etc.
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Impact of Constant Connectivity
Since the Pandemic has hit globally, online mode and technology have become a part of everyday life. Technology has brought the concept of constant connectivity both personally and professionally, especially with various modes coming into play, such as emails, video calls, messages, virtual meetings, etc. Though with this, work could be done from anywhere across the globe, increasing the system of Work From Home (WFH), specifically in corporate houses. Therefore, the bill targets the negative impact of Constant Connectivity, which brings information and work overload along with frequent burnout.
Why is there a Need to disconnect?
There has been constant reporting by employees on the stress related to work, and one of the major reasons is that work spills at home, leaving rare or no boundaries between the personal and professional life of an individual. The work hours are often more than 40-50 hours per week for employees who foster “hustle” mentally. And taking breaks or disconnecting results in the emotion of guilt and a fear that the company would think that the employee is not working hard.
Read More: Corporate Workplace Burnout in India and What to do about it?
Key Provisions of the Bill
The following are the guidelines on the basis of which the bill would be formed –
- It is mandatory for each organisation or company to form clear rules or after-hours policies
- Workers would be given the right to decline non-emergency calls from work in order to enhance work-life balance
- Employees and the employer both would be educated on the rights and responsibilities that the bill brings into foreplay
- Any kind of non-compliance with the bill would lead to an investigation, and if proven, then the companies will be liable to pay a fine
- The bill applies to the private sector, wherein employee can disconnect from their work after work hours without any fear of disciplinary actions
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Global Perspective on the Bill
Many countries have already introduced and are implementing similar measures as proposed by this bill. These measures aim to protect the employees from the demands they are expected to meet after work hours. France became the early bird to enact the Right to Disconnect in 2017, promoting work-life balance under the labour laws. Companies with employee numbers more than 50 employees were given instructions to mandatorily follow this bill.
The goal was to make sure that organisations do not force their employees to remain online after work hours. These guidelines stem from the French labour code reform of 35-hour workweeks. In the same year, Italy also passed policies on work-life balance. Their bill focuses on flexible hours of working and makes it mandatory to outline da disconnecting period in the employee contract itself.
In 2021, Portugal also brought similar measures into play by enforcing fines and strict boundaries for employees. Also, tools that monitor employees during off-hours were prohibited. Following these countries in 2024, Australia also implemented certain guidance promoting work-life harmony. The US doesn’t have a proper law yet, but certain states like New Jersey, California have made certain policies with respect to work-life balance.
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