'Always On’: Why IT Employees Want The Right To Disconnect

When Nikhil Somwanshi, a young technologist from Maharashtra, died by suicide months ago, he was working with Krutrim, the artificial intelligence arm of ride-hailing firm Ola. Colleagues later alleged that Somwanshi had been under relentless pressure, facing demanding workloads and expectations that extended far beyond office hours. For many in the industry, his death was not an isolated tragedy but a grim reflection of a deeper malaise.

Six months later, another employee, K. Aravind, also took his life. In messages left behind, Aravind reportedly cited work pressure and mental harassment by senior officials as reasons that pushed him to the extreme step. The two deaths, both linked to workplace stress, triggered renewed concern over the working conditions prevalent in India’s fast-growing technology sector.

Bengaluru, often described as the country’s IT capital, has been at the centre of several such incidents. But the problem is not confined to one city or company. In Kochi, Kerala, Jacob Thomas, an employee of an IT firm, died by suicide after jumping from his apartment. Before his death, Thomas reportedly sent a video message to his mother detailing the intense pressure he faced at work and describing what he called a toxic office environment. The video, widely discussed in media reports, once again raised uncomfortable questions about employee well-being in the industry.

Just months before Thomas’s death, another case had already shaken public conscience. Anna Sebastian Perayil, a 26-year-old chartered accountant, collapsed and died after months of complaining to her family about extreme work pressure and a hostile work atmosphere. Anna was employed with Ernst & Young. Her mother’s letter to the company’s management, which later became public, struck a chord with thousands of young professionals who said they saw their own experiences reflected in Anna’s story.

Right To Disconnect

Despite a series of deaths and medical emergencies allegedly linked to extreme work pressure, there has been little in the way of concrete intervention from either governments or industry bodies. It is against this backdrop that CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP A.A. Rahim introduced a private member’s Bill in Parliament seeking to guarantee employees the “right to disconnect.”

“Despite several cases emerging, people taking their own lives or collapsing due to excessive work pressure, there has been no serious or systemic response from the authorities, whether at the level of the state or from industry groups,” Rahim said. “It is in this context that I introduced a private Bill in the House seeking the right to disconnect.”

Rahim explained that the Bill seeks to formally recognise workers’ right to personal time, mental rest, and recuperation. “The proposal is clear: employees should not be obligated to respond to work-related communications outside official working hours, and they should not face adverse consequences—such as disciplinary action, negative performance assessments, or denial of career opportunities—for exercising this right,” he said.

Drawing from his experience as a party functionary and president of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), Rahim said the problem extends well beyond the IT sector. “I am personally aware of the travails employees are facing—not just in IT, but also in sectors like banking. In the eagerness not to inconvenience corporate houses or big capital, corrective measures are repeatedly postponed or avoided,” he alleged.

Rahim also pointed to a post-pandemic shift in work culture that has further eroded the boundary between professional and personal life. “Remote work and constant digital connectivity have blurred this distinction almost entirely. This culture has intensified work pressure and, in many cases, led to severe mental stress due to shrinking personal and family time,” he said.

Employees echo these concerns. A woman working with an IT firm in Bengaluru described the emotional toll of continuous work beyond official hours. “There is no real social time left—no space to meet friends or disconnect,” she said, requesting anonymity. “A kind of gloom sets in. Nothing excites me anymore. The job has made me mechanical, and I feel like I am slowly slipping into depression.”

She added that changing jobs does not necessarily offer relief. “This isn’t a company-specific issue. It’s the same everywhere. So there’s no point in simply switching employers,” she said.

Toll On The Body

Empirical evidence increasingly supports workers’ accounts of excessive pressure and deteriorating health in the IT sector. A recent study conducted by the University of Hyderabad in association with the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology found that 84 per cent of IT employees suffer from Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD). The study attributed the high prevalence primarily to work-related stress, inadequate sleep, and lack of sufficient rest.

The findings point to a broader health crisis. According to the study, nearly 70 percent of IT employees were found to be obese, while around 34 percent had metabolic syndrome—a cluster of conditions that significantly increase the risk of fatty liver disease, diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure. Although the research was conducted in Hyderabad, experts and industry insiders say the trends are unlikely to be confined to one city and may reflect conditions across major IT hubs, with marginal regional variations.

Trade unions say these health outcomes are closely linked to exploitative work practices. Sooraj Nidiyanga, secretary of the Karnataka State IT and ITES Employees’ Union, alleged that many companies routinely force employees to work beyond regular hours and on weekends, often without additional compensation. “Employers push employees to the limit, resulting in severe physical and mental health consequences, including tragic cases of suicide,” Sooraj said. “Our union has been consistently demanding a healthy work-life balance. Today, the issue has become impossible to ignore.”

Long working hours remain a defining feature of the sector. A 2024 report by the Knowledge Chamber of Commerce and Industry found that the average IT professional works 52.5 hours a week, well beyond the standard workweek. The report warned that prolonged hours are having a serious adverse impact on workers’ physical and mental health.

“Despite multiple studies and repeated warnings, neither the government nor industry associations have given due importance to workers’ demands,” said. “There is a clear reluctance to intervene.”

The demand for legislative safeguards is not new. Earlier, Nationalist Congress Party leader Supriya Sule had also introduced a private member’s Bill seeking to recognise employees’ right to disconnect. More recently, CPI(M) MP A.A. Rahim’s Bill has revived the debate, even as its chances of becoming law remain slim.

Global Precedent

Several countries have already moved beyond symbolism. Nations such as France, Belgium, Spain, and Portugal have enacted laws granting employees the legal right to disengage from work-related communication after office hours. These measures were introduced to curb burnout and restore work-life balance in increasingly digitised workplaces.

While Rahim’s Bill may not secure government approval in the near future, workers in the IT and allied sectors believe it could serve as a pressure point. Continued debate and collective demand, they argue, may eventually compel policymakers to confront the human cost of India’s tech-driven growth and consider statutory protection for employees’ mental and physical wellbeing.