What Is Kerala’s ‘Right To Disconnect’ Bill And How Will It Help Private Employees?
Kerala is set to introduce a Right to Disconnect Bill for private sector employees, aiming to protect them from excessive work beyond official hours.
The private bill will be moved in the state assembly this session by Chief Whip and Kanjirappally MLA Dr N. Jayaraj, promising legal backing for employees to switch off from work after office hours without fear of penalties.
The proposed legislation gives employees the right to abstain from attending emails, phone calls, video conferences, online meetings, or messages beyond the working hours specified in their employment agreements.
It also safeguards them against disciplinary actions such as demotions or dismissals for exercising this right.
To enforce the law, the bill suggests the creation of Private Sector Employment Grievance Redressal Committees in each district, chaired by the regional joint labour commissioner, with the district labour officer as secretary and the deputy labour commissioner as a member.
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These committees can investigate complaints about overtime work, company layoffs, and even recommend additional remuneration for extra hours. They may also instruct firms to provide employee counselling facilities.
The move has received widespread support from tech professionals and employee welfare groups. Prathidhwani, a state-wide IT employees’ organization, called the bill a “landmark step towards safeguarding mental health, dignity, and personal freedom” and praised the proposed grievance redressal committees.
A professional from Kozhikode explained that before the pandemic, office work was mostly restricted to desktops and regular hours. “The shift to laptops and remote work created an ‘always-on’ culture, making it difficult for employees to disconnect,” they said.
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If passed, Kerala would join a select group of regions worldwide granting employees the legal right to disconnect, marking a significant step toward improving work-life balance in the private sector.
