In today’s digital age, work has spilled into personal hours through emails, messages, and calls that extend beyond the “official” workday, making it difficult for employees to mentally disconnect.
Kerala’s proposed Right to Disconnect Bill 2025 seeks to legally protect private-sector employees from such after-hours work demands.
Kerala Proposes Right To Disconnect Bill: What Does It Mean?
The Bill would allow employees to ignore work-related calls, emails, or video conferences outside their fixed hours without fear of demotion, dismissal, or other penalties.
However, passing the law alone is not enough; its effectiveness depends on practical strategies that reduce stress, ensure psychological detachment, and balance work–family demands.
A 2022 study in Frontiers in Psychology described after-hours work as a “double-edged sword,” showing it can enhance work thriving but also heighten work–family conflict and reduce family well-being.
Constant connectivity makes it harder for workers to detach, thereby increasing stress and fatigue.
Another 2017 study titled Exhausted, but Unable to Disconnect found that it’s not the number of after-hours emails that causes burnout but the expectation to respond, which creates emotional exhaustion.
The researchers noted, “The organisational expectation for employees to be available during non-work hours has a powerful influence on emotional depletion,” highlighting that cultural change must complement legal rights.
Evidence from Eurofound’s 2023 report showed that companies with formal “Right to Disconnect” policies had double the number of highly satisfied workers compared to those without such policies.
Employees in companies lacking these policies reported higher levels of headaches, anxiety, and stress.
But simply drafting a policy is insufficient; it must include awareness drives, managerial training, and limits on after-hours communication.
District-Level Grievance Committees to Ensure Accountability and Employee Recourse
The Bill proposes district-level grievance committees led by labour commissioners to ensure accountability and employee recourse.
Employers should also report outcomes annually, including after-hours contacts, health data, and employee satisfaction levels.
Protections against retaliation must be explicit so that employees can exercise their rights freely.
The law could begin with pilot sectors such as IT or media before wider rollout, refining rules based on sectoral needs.
Embedding mental health awareness and encouraging cultural change are equally important so that digital disconnection becomes normalized.
Ultimately, Kerala’s Right to Disconnect Bill 2025 represents a progressive step toward preserving workers’ mental health and personal dignity—but its real impact will depend on strong enforcement, cultural acceptance, and ongoing evaluation.
