Remember EY staffer’s death? Kerala IT forum calls out always-on work culture, urges govt to adopt Right to Disconnect Bill

Prathidhwani, the welfare and recreation forum of Kerala Infopark employees, has welcomed the Right to Disconnect Bill 2025 introduced in the state legislature and urged the government to formally adopt it.

“Prathidhwani wholeheartedly welcomes the Right to Disconnect Bill 2025, introduced in the Kerala Legislative Assembly by Dr. N Jayaraj MLA. This is a landmark step towards safeguarding the mental health, dignity, and personal freedom of private sector employees in Kerala,” the forum said.

For over a decade, Prathidhwani has raised concerns about rising stress, burnout, and blurred boundaries caused by an “always-on” work culture in the IT and private sectors. The tragic loss of young EY employee Anna Sebastian Perayil last year underlined the urgency of such legislation, the forum added. 

The forum particularly welcomed the bill’s proposal to establish Private Sector Employment Grievance Redressal Committees in every district. “These committees will play a vital role in addressing employee grievances related to workload, overtime compensation, workplace surveillance, and overall fair treatment,” Prathidhwani note.

By affirming that employees should not be penalised for disconnecting after official hours, the Bill “humanises workplaces and aligns Kerala with progressive global practices.” The forum urged the government to adopt the private member’s bill as government legislation, describing it as a pioneering step that could make Kerala a model state for employee welfare and work-life balance.

“After hours belong to you — not your employer,” the forum emphasised.

What the Right to Disconnect entails

The Kerala Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025 (Bill No. 257), introduced by Dr N. Jayaraj, MLA, aims to provide specific legal protections to employees in the private sector within Kerala. The Bill guarantees that employees can disengage from all work-related activities outside their fixed working hours.

The Bill defines the "Right to Disconnect" as the ability of an employee to refrain from receiving or acting on work notifications from employers or authorised personnel outside specified working hours. This includes online meetings, phone calls, emails, SMS, video conferences, and other electronic communications, unless a prior agreement exists.

The legislation responds to post-COVID changes in labour practices, particularly the extension of online work beyond normal hours, which can erode private leisure time and affect work-life balance.

The Bill upholds the international principle of the right to rest and leisure under Article 24 of the UN Human Rights Declaration. Crucially, it provides strong safeguards against retribution, prohibiting punitive actions such as dismissal, demotion, or withholding benefits or training opportunities for employees exercising their right to disconnect.

To oversee implementation, the Bill mandates a Grievance Redressal Committee for Employment in the Private Sector at the district level, chaired ex-officio by the Regional Joint Labour Commissioner. The Committee is tasked with:

• Investigating complaints about working hours or excessive controls.
• Analysing situations where employees must work after hours or away from the workplace.
• Addressing issues such as long online meetings or checking messages after office hours.
• Guiding employers and employees to manage stress and distinguish personal from work time.
• Resolving difficulties in meeting corporate targets within the standard eight-hour workday.

If private establishments fail to comply, the State Labour Commissioner may conduct inquiries based on the Committee’s recommendations and report to the Government to impose penalties on employers.