Work-Life Balance and the Right to Disconnect
A A Rahim
ONE of the major issues facing the modern employment sector today is the challenge of maintaining a work-life balance. The relationship between life and work has been a constant throughout human history – people have always sought work to improve their living standards. However, in the present era, significant transformations have taken place in our work culture.
Exploitation has become a defining feature of the contemporary capitalist system. The struggles of the working class for fair wages and better working conditions have often been marked by bloodshed, leaving behind painful yet powerful chapters in world history. The deadly combination of capitalism and globalisation has further intensified this exploitation.
By the early 1990s, the Indian work culture underwent drastic changes: permanent jobs declined, and the processes of contractualisation and outsourcing increased. This shift was accompanied by the large-scale enclosure and privatisation of Public Sector Enterprises (PSEs). What has been the result of these changes? A deepening exploitation of the labour force and a weakening of their bargaining power in newly privatised industries.
Consequently, it has become increasingly difficult for younger generations to lead healthy and fulfilling lives. They have been turned into ‘mechanical humans’, burdened by unrelenting pressures and anxieties. The growing number of people dying or committing suicide due to work-related stress and burnout is deeply alarming. The most recent addition to this tragic list, Nikhil Somavanshi, an IT professional at Ola, a Bangalore-based company, emerged as I was concluding this article.
SHOCKING FIGURES
According to the 2023 Asian Mental Health Index, 77 per cent of workers have experienced moderate to severe mental health issues, and 39 per cent are at high risk of serious mental health problems. A study by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) ranks India among the countries with the highest average working hours globally. It reveals that the average Indian worker labours for 46.7 hours per week, with 51 per cent working more than 49 hours a week.
A joint study by the ILO and the World Health Organisation (WHO) further highlights that India is among the countries with the highest number of deaths caused by excessive workload. These alarming statistics expose the exploitative conditions under which 'modern slavery' is being perpetuated by the modern bourgeoisie. The majority of the victims of this new form of slavery are young women and men.
An analysis of a McKinsey study shows that women face greater difficulty in maintaining work-life balance compared to men, as they shoulder numerous responsibilities outside their formal employment. While 48 per cent of men report struggling with this issue, the percentage rises to 60 per cent among working women. The Asian Mental Health Index also confirms that women are more vulnerable to work-related mental stress, with 65.6 per cent of women reporting such stress, compared to 61.6 per cent of men. These figures highlight that 'modern slavery' remains entrenched in India’s labour market.
Despite historic struggles for workers’ rights, the privatised and unorganised sectors in India continue to deny basic entitlements to labourers. The central government’s inaction – its failure to implement legal protections or even acknowledge the scale of the crisis – is deeply concerning. It is worth noting that all the studies referenced in this article have been conducted by independent agencies or international organisations, not by the government.
Alarmingly, a recent Economic Review Report proposed that increasing working hours would raise incomes and enhance the purchasing power of the youth. This is pure nonsense! On page 381 of the same report, it admits: “(a)lthough Indian companies have made huge profits in the last four years, wage growth has been sluggish. This situation of no wage growth is a cause for concern. The lack of wage growth is particularly evident among entry-level IT professionals.” In effect, the report contradicts itself.
This new method of exploitation is not unique to India but is a global phenomenon. Protests against such exploitation can be seen across the world: In August 2023, 84 workers from the United Auto Workers (UAW) in the United States went on strike, demanding fair wages and a better work-life balance; on May Day 2025, thousands of people marched to demand a reduction in the number of working days per week. This protest was prominently seen in cities like Barcelona and Madrid in Spain, and in parts of Germany; the airline employees’ strike across several European countries had a significant impact on international air travel. The strike, which took place in April-May 2025, was driven by long working hours and the psychological stress endured by airport and airline staff. As a result, Belgium had to cancel an entire day of flights, with numerous cancellations also reported in Greece, France, and Italy.
RISING PROTESTS
IN INDIA
Real-life experiences help us better understand the gravity of this crisis. The death of Anna Sebastian, a Malayali woman employed by the multinational company Ernst & Young, was attributed to severe work-related stress. A heartfelt letter written by Anna’s mother to the company’s CEO went viral and brought the issue of work-life balance into national public discourse. The tragedy was even raised in Parliament, prompting a Member of Parliament to demand in the Rajya Sabha that a law be enacted to ensure employees have the right to disconnect from work.
One of the most powerful recent protests in India was organised by young IT workers in Bangalore, which gained nationwide attention. Held in March 2025, the protest carried the slogan “A healthy work-life balance is our right” and demanded a reduction in working hours. The protest was sparked by the Congress government in Karnataka’s proposal to increase working hours in alignment with the new labour codes. In response to the wave of strong resistance from IT employees, the government was forced to withdraw the proposed amendment. The strike was led by the Karnataka IT Employees Union (KITU), a union of IT workers in Bangalore.
The Right to Disconnect grants every worker the legal right to disengage from their job beyond designated working hours, even if the employer requests them to continue. Legalising this right ensures that workers are protected from being overworked without consent or compensation. This right is especially critical in India, where a study by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) reveals that nearly 88 per cent of workers are compelled to work beyond their official hours.
Is there any additional wage or benefit provided for this extra work? The answer, overwhelmingly, is no. Most companies offer food vouchers or other token benefits instead of fair monetary compensation. While some do provide a nominal overtime wage, this "extra pay" is often only a tiny fraction of the additional profits the company earns through employee overwork. The hashtag #WeDontWantPizzaWeWantSalary, which recently gained traction in several countries, sharply criticises this practice – highlighting how companies substitute real wages with superficial perks like pizza or coupons.
The Right to Disconnect Law has been enacted in:
· France
Enacted in 2017, this law mandates that companies with more than fifty employees must allow workers to disengage from work-related communications outside official working hours.
· Belgium
Implemented in 2022, Belgium’s law extends similar protections to workers in companies with more than twenty employees.
· Australia
A similar law is set to come into effect on August 26, 2025, applying to companies with over fifteen employees.
Forcing workers to extend their working hours – whether online or offline – is an inhumane practice. In today's hyper-connected world, employees are expected to attend virtual meetings, respond to emails, or carry out tasks even on holidays or during approved leaves. As a result, the younger generation is being robbed of a healthy personal life.
This exploitative culture reflects a deep structural problem: many companies treat employees as machines rather than human beings with personal lives, families, and emotional needs. The expectation that workers remain accessible around the clock – even when they are spending precious moments with loved ones – lays bare a disturbing truth.
Isn’t it clear that our youth are being forced to trade away their personal lives in exchange for relentless, unpaid overtime? Isn’t this, in every sense, a modern form of slavery?
Why is this exploitation so successful in India? The answer lies in the economic policies introduced by the Congress government in the early 1990s and continued by the BJP to this day. In the current context of high unemployment in India, the widespread belief that one worker can easily be replaced by another emboldens companies to impose modern-day slave labour on their employees.
This exploitation is further enabled by the rising cost of living, increasing dependence on loans and monthly EMIs, and other financial burdens. These economic pressures force Indian youth to accept any job, under any conditions, simply to survive and repay their debts. It is precisely this state of desperation that companies exploit – not just in India, but globally.
Faced with this reality, Indian youth are left with no choice but to raise the slogan ‘Right to Disconnect’ and protest against the multitude of challenges they face – unemployment, underemployment, contractualisation, outsourcing, and job insecurity – all products of neoliberal economic policies.
Let Nikhil Somavanshi be the last victim of this modern form of exploitation and slavery. The central government must urgently enact legislation to protect workers and ensure that the list of victims does not grow any longer.
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