Now you can log off without guilt: Kerala introduces India’s First ‘Right to Disconnect’ Bill

In a first for India, Kerala has tabled the ‘Right to Disconnect Bill 2025’, aiming to protect employees from after-hours digital demands and promote mental well-being in the workplace.

Kerala has become the first in India to introduce the ‘Right to Disconnect Bill 2025’, a landmark proposal that challenges the toxic hustle culture and acknowledges the heavy toll of round-the-clock work.

Tabled by Kanjirapally MLA Dr. N. Jayaraj, the bill comes in the wake of a heartbreaking tragedy, the death of 26-year-old Anna Sebastian Perayil, a Kerala native working in Pune, who reportedly succumbed to work-related stress in 2024. Her passing sparked a national reckoning over burnout and invisible corporate pressure.

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At its core, the bill protects employees’ right to log off, both literally and mentally. It ensures that no private-sector worker will be punished or evaluated negatively for ignoring calls, emails, or messages beyond official work hours. In simple terms, when the day ends, it really ends.

The bill also calls for setting up Private Sector Employment Grievance Redressal Committees across districts to monitor excessive workloads, unpaid overtime, and digital surveillance. This signals a larger shift towards prioritising mental health and humane work conditions.

Globally, Kerala joins countries like France, Italy, Ireland, and the Philippines, which legally recognise employees’ right to disconnect. In France, for instance, companies must define digital curfews to ensure workers aren’t expected to respond after hours.

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Though currently a Private Member’s Bill, Kerala’s move could inspire a national-level policy debate on work-life balance and mental health. Experts see it as a much-needed recognition that rest is not a luxury, it’s a right.

This could well be India’s mental health moment, a turning point that redefines productivity through compassion.