PM Modi calls for WFH amid fuel crisis. But can your company say no? Here's what the law says

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently urged citizens and businesses to adopt practices that became common during the COVID-19 pandemic, including work from home (WFH) arrangements, virtual meetings, and limiting unnecessary travel. The PM linked the appeal directly to India's energy security concerns and the mounting pressure on imported petroleum products amid escalating tensions in West Asia. "We must prioritise work from home, online conferences, and virtual meetings again," Modi said, stressing the need to reduce fuel consumption and dependence on imported energy.

The appeal has since snowballed into a national conversation, with IT employees in cities like Pune urging the government to make WFH mandatory, and government employee bodies calling on the Department of Personnel and Training to issue comprehensive WFH guidelines for central government offices.

Is the PM's appeal legally binding?

In short, no. Labour law says the appeal is currently only advisory and carries no legal force. This means companies are under no obligation to comply, however patriotic the intent behind Modi's words may be.

What do India's labour laws actually say?

There are no laws as of now unless WFH is mentioned in an employee’s contract. A company’s policy plays a vital role here unless mandated by the government. Although the new labour codes formally recognise WFH and hybrid arrangements for the first time within India's labour framework, they do not provide employees with an automatic legal right to remote work. The framework allows employers to implement WFH systems, but only subject to mutual agreement. For most employees, the operative legal framework remains state-level Shops and Establishments Acts such as those in Karnataka, Delhi, and Maharashtra, which regulate working hours, leave, and workplace conditions, but grant no blanket entitlement to work from home.

What changed during Covid and why that doesn't apply now?

During the pandemic, governments used emergency powers under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, along with binding Ministry of Home Affairs directives, to enforce remote working across sectors. Those orders gave WFH legal backing between 2020 and 2022. At present, no such binding government notification exists. Until one does, PM Modi's call remains a moral appeal and not an enforceable right.