Shops & Establishments Act — Working Hours, Overtime aur Employee Rights 2026

Shops Act Kya Hai — Factories Act Se Kya Fark Hai?

Agar aap factory mein nahi balki kisi office, shop, mall, restaurant, hotel, cinema hall ya IT company mein kaam karte hain — toh Factories Act aap par apply nahi hota. Aap par apply hota hai Shops and Establishments Act — jo har state ne apne hisaab se banaya hai.

Yeh ek state-specific law hai — Maharashtra ka alag hai, Delhi ka alag, Tamil Nadu ka alag. Basic framework similar hota hai lekin exact numbers — hours, leave days, overtime rate — state se state alag hota hai. Is article mein hum broadly cover karte hain; apne state ka specific act check karna important hai.

Working Hours — Daily aur Weekly Limit

Zyaadatar states mein limit hai 9 hours/day aur 48 hours/week. Kuch important states ki details:

State	Daily Limit	Weekly Limit	Overtime Rate
Maharashtra	9 hours	48 hours	Double wage
Delhi	9 hours	54 hours	Double wage
Karnataka	10 hours	48 hours	Double wage
Tamil Nadu	9 hours	48 hours	Double wage
Telangana	9 hours	48 hours	Double wage

IT sector employees ke liye kuch states mein flexible hours allowed hain — lekin weekly average 48 ghante se zyada nahi honi chahiye. "Work from home" employees bhi technically in provisions ke under aate hain.

Weekly Off — Mandatory 1 Din Ki Chutti

Har employee ko hafte mein ek din ki chutti mandatory milni chahiye. Generally Sunday hoti hai, lekin employer dusre din bhi de sakta hai — lekin dena hi padega. Agar kisi hafte weekly off nahi mila aur aapko kaam karwaya gaya, toh compensatory off ya overtime pay mandatory hai.

Retail shops mein typically Sunday weekly off hota hai. Banks mein Saturday half-day + Sunday. IT companies mein Saturday-Sunday both off hota hai (2 days off) — jo actually law ki minimum requirement se zyada hai, jo employer ki goodwill se milta hai.

Overtime — Hisaab Kaise Lagega

Zyaadatar states mein overtime rate hai double the ordinary wage — same as Factories Act. Agar aapki daily salary ₹500 hai aur aap 2 extra ghante kaam karte ho — toh un 2 ghanton ka ₹250 nahi balki ₹500 overtime milna chahiye.

Overtime ka register maintain karna employer ki duty hai. Salary slip mein overtime separately mention hona chahiye. Agar overtime deduce ho raha hai aur record nahi mil raha — toh Labour Commissioner complaint kar sakte hain.

Leaves — Kaun Si aur Kitni

Shops Act ke under teen types ki leaves generally milti hain:

• Earned/Privilege Leave (EL/PL): Saal mein 15–21 days. 1 saal kaam karne ke baad milni shuru hoti hai.
• Casual Leave (CL): 7–10 days/year. Short notice par le sakte hain — sudden personal work ke liye.
• Sick Leave (SL): 7–12 days/year. Medical certificate ke sath ya bina — employer ki policy ke hisaab se.

National holidays mandatory hain — 26 January, 15 August, 2 October. State festivals bhi state government notification ke hisaab se mandatory ho sakte hain. Agar aap holiday pe kaam karte hain toh double pay ya compensatory off milna chahiye.

Termination aur Notice Period

Shops Act employee ko sudden termination se bhi protect karta hai. Agar employer bina notice ke terminate kare — toh notice pay mandatory hai:

• 1 month se zyada service: 1 month notice ya notice period wages in lieu
• Kuch states mein 3 months notice required hai agar 3+ years service ho
• Misconduct mein summary dismissal allowed — lekin enquiry karna hogi

Registration aur Inspector

Har shop ya establishment ko local municipal authority ya state labour department se S&E registration mandatory hai. Registration certificate shop mein display karna hoga. Inspector physical visit karke verify karta hai ki act comply ho raha hai ya nahi.

Complaint karne ke liye apne state ka Labour Commissioner ya Regional Labour Officer ka office contact karo. Complaint online bhi ho sakti hai kuch states mein — Shram Suvidha Portal par check karo.