Mumbai News: Activists Urge State Govt To Enact Right To Disconnect Law For Private Sector Employees

Mumbai: Mumbai-based activists have urged the Maharashtra government to enact the Right to Disconnect Act for protection of private sector employees from employer's unreasonable demands post official working hours.

Inspired by Kerala’s Move

The demand comes a few weeks after Kerala proposed the bill to give legal right to private sector employees to refuse work-related communication outside of official working hours and protect them from penalties for doing so.

Mumbai-based Watchdog Foundation wrote to Maharashtra chief minister, chief secretary and principal secretary of labour department to follow Kerala's step and enact a similar law to protect interests of private sector employees.

Work-Life Balance Concerns Highlighted

Calling Kerala's introduction of the bill as a progressive and welfare-oriented step, Watchdog Foundation said, “Many senior management personnel tend to stay late in the office and, in turn, expect their subordinates to do the same. This culture often extends into weekends, with employees being pressured to respond to late-night calls and emails. Such instances have unfortunately become the norm rather than the exception.”

Activists Cite Long Working Hours and Mental Strain

It urged the Maharashtra government to introduce a similar law to safeguard the rights of private sector employees. It claimed that many such employees are compelled to work for 14 to 16 hours daily, including commuting time, often for six days a week and the excessive workload places tremendous mental and physical strain on the workforce.

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Call to Address Toxic Workplace Culture

“In many organizations, it has been observed that some senior employees deliberately delay their work until the end of office hours to create an impression of diligence before their superiors, a practice that contributes to an unhealthy workplace culture across industries,” the letter read.

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Published on: Tuesday, November 04, 2025, 06:51 PM IST