Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament, has introduced a Private Member’s Bill seeking to legally guarantee the Right to Disconnect for Indian employees. The proposal comes amid growing concerns over burnout, excessive working hours, and mental health issues in India’s workforce—an issue frequently discussed in classrooms and mentoring sessions at leading UPSC coaching in Hyderabad institutions.
Right to Disconnect:
- It means employees are not obliged to respond to work calls, emails, or messages after official working hours.
- Work-Life Balance: Protects personal time like evenings, weekends, and holidays from work intrusion.
- No Penalty: Workers cannot be punished or discriminated against for ignoring after-hours communication.
- Applies to All: Covers regular employees, contractual staff, freelancers, and gig workers.
- Health & Well-being: Helps reduce stress, burnout, and lifestyle diseases caused by overwork.
- Global Practice: Countries like France, Portugal, and Italy already have such laws to safeguard workers.
Modus Operandi
- ILO Data: 51% of Indian workers put in more than 49 hours weekly, ranking India second globally for long working hours—an important statistic for aspirants enrolled in IAS coaching and civils coaching in Hyderabad.
- Burnout Crisis: Nearly 78% of employees report job burnout, causing physical and emotional strain.
- Health Impact: Overwork contributes to hypertension, diabetes, anxiety, and depression.
- Legal Gap: The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code (2020) covers traditional workers but excludes many employees such as gig, freelance, and contractual workers.
- Case Example: The death of Anna Sebastian Perayil (E&Y employee, 2024) highlighted the dangers of overwork.
Current Situation in India
- ILO Data: 51% of Indian workers put in more than 49 hours weekly, ranking India second globally for long working hours.
- Burnout Crisis: Nearly 78% of employees report job burnout, causing physical and emotional strain.
- Health Impact: Overwork contributes to hypertension, diabetes, anxiety, and depression.
- Legal Gap: The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code (2020) covers traditional workers but excludes many employees such as gig, freelance, and contractual workers.
- Case Example: The death of Anna Sebastian Perayil (E&Y employee, 2024) highlighted dangers of overwork.
Global Perspective
- France: First country to introduce Right to Disconnect in 2017.
- Other Nations: Portugal, Italy, Ireland, and Australia have adopted similar laws.
- Lesson: Respecting downtime is seen as essential for sustainable economic growth.
Key Provisions of Proposed Bill
- Public Health: Reduces stress-related illnesses and improves overall well-being.
- Productivity: Well-rested employees are more innovative and efficient—an insight relevant for economy and social justice answers in Hyderabad IAS coaching classrooms.
- Social Stability: Prevents erosion of family and personal time.
- Economic Sustainability: Ensures long-term workforce resilience.
Importance for India
- Public Health: Reduces stress-related illnesses and improves overall well-being.
- Productivity: Well-rested employees are more innovative and efficient.
- Social Stability: Prevents erosion of family and personal time.
- Economic Sustainability: Ensures long-term workforce resilience.
Way Forward
- Public Health: Reduces stress-related illnesses and improves overall well-being.
- Productivity: Well-rested employees are more innovative and efficient.
- Social Stability: Prevents erosion of family and personal time.
- Economic Sustainability: Ensures long-term workforce resilience.
Conclusion
India cannot afford to glorify exhaustion; legislating the Right to Disconnect is vital to protect workers’ health and productivity. Without this reform, the nation risks burning out its demographic dividend instead of harnessing it for sustainable growth—an argument increasingly relevant for GS-II, GS-IV, and essay discussions in IAS coaching in Hyderabad ecosystems.
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