Bengaluru HRs back ‘Right to Disconnect’

A few companies in Bengaluru already have work cultures aligned with the Right to Disconnect Bill, introduced by MP Supriya Sule as a Private Member’s Bill in the Lok Sabha last week. The Bill seeks to give employees the legal right to ignore work-related communication outside official working hours and on holidays. It is yet to be approved. Countries such as France, Belgium, Spain and Portugal already limit after-hours communication.

Prashanth Nandiprasad, proprietor of a design firm in Kumara Park West, says their employees are not contacted outside office hours (9.30 am to 6 pm) or on holidays, except in emergencies. He says the system is built on punctuality and accountability, and has been working well for the last 15 years. In
the rare case that employees have worked extra hours, they offer overtime money. 

A similar culture exists at a Whitefield-based industrial AI company. Sitara Subramani, manager (people and organisation), says the company follows a strict 40-hour workweek with weekends off. She attributes it to their European work culture. Their employees have flexible schedules with no rigid monitoring. If the Bill becomes law, she expects a smooth transition, one that will involve “formalising existing practices and introducing eight-hour rotational shifts to support global clients”. “Managers will also be coached to discourage overworking,” she adds. 

‘Addresses burnout’

Annie Thomas, HR head at an influencer marketing platform, says the Bill addresses burnout and blurred work boundaries, and serves as an “important nudge” to set limits. Her organisation has followed flexible 40-hour workweeks for over five years. “We occasionally work on weekends and holidays, especially during festivals or major campaign launches, but this is managed through a staff rotation system,” she says.

She feels shift-based systems may become common if the law is enforced strictly. However, this can increase staffing needs and operational costs, which could be a “concern” for many employers.

‘Double-edged’

Anupam Singh, vice president-HR, Asia Pacific, at a Whitefield-based software solutions firm, calls the proposed Bill “a bit double-edged” for India’s globally integrated tech workforce. He says the sector has thrived on flexibility across time zones, a trend that intensified after the Covid-19 pandemic. While “not always healthy”, Singh admits this availability has helped boost business. If enforced, the Bill could push companies towards shift-based work and overtime payments, increasing costs. It could also reshape project delivery models, efficiency monitoring systems, and “prompt companies to consider nearshoring (moving business operations to a nearby country)”.

Trade union says…

The Right to Disconnect has long been a demand of the Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU). The union raised the issue during protests this March, and even last August when Karnataka proposed 14-hour workdays. The proposal was later withdrawn.

KITU general secretary Suhas Adiga says the lack of clear rules has “normalised” after-hours and weekend work. He believes such a law could force companies to restructure work.