85% of employees are being contacted even on sick leaves: Here's why India needs Right to Disconnect Bill

Do you ever pause in the middle of the dinner table to reply to an “urgent” email? Or scroll through messages at midnight because the phone just won’t stop buzzing? This picture is not unfamiliar to Indian households. Without us realising, our homes have become extensions of our offices. Not only are we brimming with apprehension of missing the call, but also with guilt for not being available after “office hours.” It has been embedded and enshrined in our corporate culture so well that we tend to forget that the office cannot enter our living rooms. At least it should not. It is often shredded away labelling as a minor inconvenience; however, it reflects a larger, succumbing ordeal.

Technology promised that it would deliver flexibility on a silver platter. And it fulfilled its promise really well; it is just that it taught Indian corporates to forget boundaries. Employees are no longer just workers; they are 24/7 extensions of their employers’ ambitions. But at what cost? Stress, sleepless nights, anxiety, and burnout are no longer rare; they are the new normal. And yet, Indian labour law has no answers, leaving millions to navigate the digital pressure cooker on their own.

The survey that lifts the veil

A recent Censuswide survey, conducted on behalf of Indeed, brings hard numbers to what many already feel. Among 500 employees surveyed:

• 88% said they are contacted by employers outside official hours.
• 85% report being disturbed even during sick leave or public holidays.
• 79% fear repercussions, missed promotions, damaged reputations, or subtle workplace retaliation, if they do not respond promptly.

These statistics tell a story far beyond percentages. They reveal a workforce living under digital surveillance, perpetually anxious, and trapped by unspoken rules.

When boundaries disappear, life disappears

Imagine a device that only has an “on” switch, and the “off” button has vanished. Well, obviously it is not about devices but our very own professional lives. Employees’ personal time is often interrupted for so-called “urgent” messages. Working weekends, rejecting vacation leaves, and staying till late hours in office have been effectively garbed and packaged by “hard work.”

The story not only tells the repercussions of the mental toll but of the economic cost as well. Employees burnt out by constant connectivity are less creative, less productive, and more likely to quit. The survey shows that the fear of being penalized for not responding forces workers to stay tethered, sacrificing efficiency for availability. Are we really working, or pretending to work?

Right to Disconnect Bill appeared as a silver lining

Last month, when the Right to Disconnect Bill was introduced in the Parliament, it triggered an array of questions. Can productivity truly be measured by constant availability? Should ambition demand sacrifice of sleep, family, and mental health? How long can India’s workforce survive in a culture where being “always on” is normalized?

The Right to Disconnect Bill seemed to be the light at the end of the tunnel. Its aim was to safeguard employees from after-hours communication. Its objective was to protect human dignity and long-term productivity. Without it, employees remain at the mercy of unregulated expectations. It has yet to move forward in the Parliament.

A generational fault line in the always-on workplace

Workplace loyalty no longer means the same thing to every generation. While older employees often interpret after-hours contact as recognition, younger workers increasingly see it as intrusion. Gen Z has always been labelled as the “entitled” generation. Agree or not, the young cohort deserves applause for the courage it has shown for atleast starting the conversation on work-life balance.

The survey highlights a clear generational shift in how availability, respect, and ambition are defined.

• 88% of Baby Boomers say being contacted after work hours makes them feel valued.
• Among Gen Z, that figure drops to around 50%, reflecting changing expectations of work-life balance.
• 63% of Gen Z would consider leaving a job if their right to disconnect is not respected.
• By contrast, only 38% of Baby Boomers share this view.

Reclaiming our time

All of us love good statistics that applaud how far we have come. But then there are some numbers that hold the mirror in front of us. These numbers demonstrated how much of the Indian workforce is exhausted, anxious, and chained to the glow of their screens.

Work will continue to evolve, but unless boundaries are legally recognised, employees will pay the price.
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