Is My Company's New 54-Hour Workweek Policy Legal in Maharashtra? Seeking Urgent Guidance

Hi, I am working in a Real Estate Consulting company based in Pune, Maharashtra. It was a Pvt Ltd company before, which is now renamed to an LLP company. There is a new policy being implemented that states the number of working hours per day will be 9 hours from 10 AM to 7 PM, and work will be conducted 6 days a week, totaling 54 hours per week.

Concerns about Working Hours Policy

I have tried searching on forums, and most of them state that 9 hours a day and 48 hours a week is the maximum. I want my company to adhere to the proper laws to support the health and mental well-being of employees.

Could someone please provide me with the correct PDF and government website link for this law and guide me? I need an answer today as this policy will be effective from the 1st of January 2018.

Please also let me know what to do in case if an LLP company is forcing you to work for 54 hours a day and also making you do overtime without paying for it. What is the policy for overtime in an LLP company in Pune, Maharashtra.

Thank you.

Hi Mr. Neroyoung, as per government rules, the maximum working hours per week are 48 hours, with a cap at 60 hours in a week. After 48 hours, we should pay double the salary/wage to the employees. It depends on the organization's policies. Some organizations set 8 hours as a standard workday, and if employees work more than 12 hours, the company will provide additional allowances such as food, lodging, overtime pay, etc.

In such situations, HR should handle certain matters confidentially.

Thanks & Regards,
Nagarjun R
Papas Trading Private Limited

Maximum working hours without overtime is 48 hours per week. Please reduce the lunch break taken per day to achieve the proper timeframe.

Hi,

We take a 45-minute lunch break and one short break of 10-15 minutes throughout the entire day. I read somewhere that after 5 hours of working, you are eligible for a 1-hour break, which is counted in the total working hours in a day, totaling 9 hours.

Maharashtra Shops and Establishment Act

Subject to the other provisions of this Act, no adult worker shall be required or allowed to work in any establishment for more than nine hours in any day and forty-eight hours in any week. No adult worker shall be asked to work continuously for more than five hours unless he has been given a break of not less than half an hour. Provided that the working hours or weekly holiday may be relaxed in case of work of urgent nature with the previous permission of the Facilitator.

Where a worker in any establishment is required to work beyond nine hours a day or forty-eight hours a week, he shall be entitled, in respect of the overtime work, wages at the rate of twice his ordinary rate of wages. The total number of overtime hours shall not exceed one hundred and twenty-five hours in a period of three months.

@Nathrao,

Can you please be kind enough to provide the act in which this is written or provide a link to it so I can share it with my superiors for a proper discussion?

Thank you.

Hello Neroyoung,

First of all, remove from your mind the idea that you are working for 9 hours daily. You have a 45-minute lunch break and a 15-minute short break (perhaps for tea). Subtract this 1 hour from the 9 hours, which means you work for 8 hours a day and 48 hours in a week as per the law.

There is a provision in the Factories Act, 1948, to provide rest after working for 5 hours. However, this rest time is in addition to your 8 hours of work and not included within the 8 hours.

I hope the above explanation clarifies things.

Regards,
Suresh

Hi Suresh,

Please provide a PDF document or link to a government website to prove your point. I'm having a hard time working in the office from 10 AM to 7 PM. It consumes my entire day, and I have no life because of it.

On Sundays, instead of resting, I have to work on my pending household tasks. This cycle continues 365 days a year without a break.