The battle to switch off as hours on the job grow across key states

The Right to Disconnect Bill in Kerala seeks to safeguard employees' after-hours rest, even as states like Maharashtra, Telangana, and Odisha extend maximum work hours. Shine Jacob explains

Across India’s bustling corporate corridors, the boundaries between work and life are blurring fast. Even as states such as Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra and Odisha move to extend working hours in the name of productivity and reform, a small but significant countercurrent is emerging from Kerala that has caught the nation’s attention. 

A Private Member’s Bill tabled in the Kerala Assembly, the Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025, seeks to reclaim what its proponent calls a fundamental right to rest and dignity for private-sector workers. Introduced by N Jayaraj, chief whip of the Kerala Legislative Assembly and Kerala Congress (M)