NCP MP Supriya Sule moves Right to Disconnect Bill for second time in Lok Sabha; watch video

NCP MP Supriya Sule moves Right to Disconnect Bill for second time in Lok Sabha; watch video

Sanjay JogUpdated: Saturday, March 19, 2022, 11:16 PM IST
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NCP's Supriya Sule | File

Recognises employees' right to disconnect or not respond to employer’s calls, emails after work hours

· Imposes sanctions -- @ 1% of employees’ total remuneration -- for any non-compliance with its provisions

· Mandates companies to draft their own policies for employees working remotely, teleworking and commuting to work

· To free employee from digital distractions and enable them to truly connect with people around them, Bill provides for ‘digital detox’ centres

Mumbai: For the second time, Nationalist Congress Party MP Supriya Sule has moved a private member’s bill - the Right to Disconnect Bill in the Lok Sabha. She had moved the bill in her first term (2014-19) but no discussion could take place in the Lok Sabha at that time.

The bill provides for flexibility in the right-to-disconnect rules and leaves it to the individual company to negotiate the terms of service with their employees. It seeks to respect the personal space of the employees by recognising their right to disconnect and not respond to their employer’s calls and emails during out-of-work hours. While the bill recognises the rights of the employees, it also takes into consideration the competitive needs of the companies and their diverse work cultures.

The bill imposes sanctions at the rate of 1 per cent of its total employees’ remuneration, on entities (companies or societies), for any non-compliance with the provisions of the bill. To rein in the adverse effects of hyperconnectivity on employees’ personal lives, the bill also provides for counselling services to increase awareness among employees and citizens, on the reasonable use of digital and communication tools for professional and personal use. To free an employee from digital distractions and enable them to truly connect with the people around them, the bill provides for digital detox centres.

Digital transformation has a direct impact on conditions in the employment contract, like the time and the place of work. Hence, if an employee agrees to work during out-of-work hours, the bill entitles him to overtime pay at the same rate as his wage rate. This provision aims to check the surge in unpaid overtime work, brought about by digital transformation,” says Sule, who has invited “professionals, corporates, my fellow colleagues and public representatives across the country to share their stories”.

“Tell your stories of difficulties you face in maintaining work-life balance and success stories of ensuring personal and family time for employees. Also share your feedback and suggestions for improving the RTD Bill and making Right to Disconnect a reality,” Sule said in a video on Twitter.


The bill has provisions in case of lack of consensus between employer and employee during negotiations. In such cases, the company is required to explicitly lay out their out-of-work-hours demands from their employees in the Charter, and the employees can either choose to work or enforce their right to disconnect.

The bill also mandates companies to draft their own policy towards employees working remotely, teleworking and travelling for work. “The Bill provides for the constitution of employee welfare committees in every company, to assist employees in negotiations with employers. The bill also has a provision to ensure that these negotiations are held frequently at regular intervals, to keep in line with the dynamic business demands,” Sule said.

The bill champions the rights and welfare of employees by mandating individual entities to negotiate out-of-hour service conditions with their employees and upholding the right of employees to disconnect. “The Bill thus recognises the right to disconnect as a way to reduce stress and ease tension between an employee’s personal and professional life,” she observed.

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