How Can I Persuade Management to Shorten Our Office Hours to Improve Work-Life Balance?

I need help to change the office timing. Please suggest how I can convince management.

Current Office Timing

In my current organization, office timing is from 10 am to 7 pm, including a 30-minute lunch break, a 10-minute morning tea break, and a 10-minute evening tea break. We are working for 6 days.

Proposed Change in Office Hours

I want to change the office hours to 10 am to 6 pm, including breaks, with 1 weekly off or 5 days working.

Legal Considerations

According to the Shop and Establishment Act, working hours should not exceed 8 hours, including breaks. The working hours on any day cannot exceed 9 hours (this may vary based on the state, as the Shop and Establishment Act is separate for each state).

Understanding Working Hours Under the Act

Working hours under any act can be 8 hours, excluding intervals of rest. I don't know if there is any state act that specifies the working hours, including intervals, should be 8 hours. Therefore, there is no point in asking management to change it to 8 hours, including the lunch break. Of course, the timing you are presently following is 10 minutes longer than the permitted one, and that can be corrected.

Tea Breaks and Work Schedules

In practice, tea time is not typically considered a break as the duration is less than 30 minutes. If so, the latest you can work is from 10 am to 6:30 pm or from 9 am to 5:30 pm. If you opt for a 5-day workweek, then make it 9 hours per day, excluding lunchtime, totaling 45 hours. Consider serving tea at the workplace to avoid losing time for tea breaks. Remember, the maximum hours an employee can work in a day is 9 hours. This means an employee can work for 9 hours in one day, but the maximum hours per week should not exceed 48 hours. With a 5-day workweek, you will work for 45 hours, staying within the permitted limit.

Lunch Breaks and Total Work Spread

When working for 9 hours and taking a 30-minute lunch break, the total spread over will be 9 hours and 30 minutes, remaining within the permissible limit of 10 hours and 30 minutes.

There is really nothing to convince management. Timings are laid down by the Shops and Establishment Act of the state where your office is located, as well as the Factories Act. Following the law is our natural duty without any need for convincing anybody.

If there is a legal limit, then you can get your management to change the timings; otherwise, it is up to them. Alternatively, all employees can suggest a reduction in timings citing overwork, stress, limited time for family, etc., and hope that the management considers it.

Thank you, Akhil and Madhu.

As per my understanding, we can change the timing to 10 am to 6 pm, including a 30-minute lunch break and tea at the desk. So, there will be no 10-minute breaks. One weekly off. Is this correct?

Dear colleagues,

The Shop Act or Factories Act lays down daily/weekly limits of working hours, excluding a half-hour meal break, and not timings. The timings are decided by the management, which should adhere to the limits of 8 hours per day or 48 hours per week of actual work, excluding the meal break. You may choose your timings starting any time after 8:30 am and ending after 8.30 hours (including the meal break). You are at liberty to work fewer hours than the weekly limit of 48 hours, and the law does not restrict you if the daily 9-hour limit is adhered to.

Regards, Vinayak Nagarkar HR Consultant