Yesterday, 23 December 2025, a bill was passed in the Haryana Assembly that increases the daily hours of work for employees of shops and commercial establishments in the state from nine to 10. The total working hours per week has been capped at 48. That means the 10 hours of work is inclusive of rest intervals and cannot exceed a total of 48 hours in a week. It is hoped that this will give a boost to economic activity, create more employment opportunities and allow shops and establishments to smoothly deal with emergencies, demand rise or even staff shortages.
To amend the Haryana Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1958, the Haryana Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Bill, 2025 has been passed.
The objective of the bill is to bring about reforms that will accelerate economic growth while making it easier for smaller shops and commercial establishments in terms of compliance and worker protection.
While the bill is being promoted as being favourable to both workers and employers (shopkeepers), many see it as a way to reduce workers to mere slaves.
The bill also provides for increasing the overtime work limit for each quarter, from 50 to 156 hours during peak season to meet a demand surge. The maximum period of continuous work without rest may also be increased from five to six hours.