It’s our job now to make labour reforms that are to ensure employee welfare better in the workplace, strengthen workers’ rights, improve the work-life balance and pay workers’ wages in a timely manner. These measures are to be taken into account by the governments and employers if adopted by the employers, and implemented in the relevant labour laws and are well-being of millions of workers in the country.
The proposal is to limit regular working hours to a maximum of eight hours of work per day to keep people in good time and work on the job and keep the employees in one place at the same time. Staff working longer hours outside the defined working hours would be considered to work longer and be considered to be overtime according to labour laws and employer policies.
One such provision is that 26 days in a month of working are limited, so that employees get regular, weekly rest days. This is to contribute to a better physical and mental well-being and to a more mainstream labour environment.
The reforms also require timely payments of salary. The paid wages are supposed to be paid within the parameters and the widely discussed provision that eligible employees must receive their salary by the 7th of the next month. In order to reduce the financial uncertainty for employees and employers, timely payment is the norm.
And workers required to work beyond their assigned hours can also benefit from double payment for overtime to get more money for doing so. Equal overtime pay should discourage employees from working too much while rewarding those who work beyond their normal work hours.
The reforms’ supporters say that they would considerably improve the working conditions, productivity and the accountability of employers. Work hours and timely wages will also reduce labour disputes and improve workers' satisfaction in all businesses.
But labour law implementation varies per sector, with labour codes applicable, state-level notifications and the rules set by governments. Some provisions may be different based on what kind of establishment or job.
To ensure workers have knowledge of the latest notifications that were issued by the Central and State governments and their employer’s HR policies, we encourage them to read these notifications and determine the application of these rules in their workplace.
If the labour reforms are implemented in all the sectors of the economy we can expect to have a positive impact on better and more fair working conditions for workers in India.
Key Highlights
✅ Maximum 8 hours of regular work per day
✅ Up to 26 working days in a month
✅ Salary payment within the prescribed timeline, such as the 7th of the month provision if applicable
✅ Double wages for eligible overtime work, subject to applicable labour laws
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