- New labour laws reduce working days needed for paid leave eligibility
- Central government revises work hours, overtime rules and health checks
The central government has announced major changes that bring relief to private employees. Officials said the new labour laws now require an employee to complete only 180 working days to qualify for paid leave in a year. Earlier, the requirement was 240 days. The move is expected to help workers secure paid leave even in emergency situations.
The government said it has rationalised 29 labour laws that were in force across the country. It replaced them with four new labour laws aimed at employee welfare. These laws introduce changes to daily working hours, weekly schedules, salaries and health benefits. Officials added that they designed the new structure to reduce stress and improve the work environment.
Meanwhile, the standard eight hour workday and the 48 hour workweek remain in place for all organisations. However, the number of working days in a week may change based on the schedule chosen by each organisation. For a four day workweek, the daily shift will run for 12 hours. For a five day week, employees will work 9.5 hours a day. For a six day week, the limit stays at eight hours per day. The rules state that an employee may work extra hours with consent. They will be paid double for the overtime. The earlier limit of 75 overtime hours has been removed.
The new laws also introduce annual free health check ups for employees aged 40 and above. Officials said the aim is to detect illness early, reduce medical costs and improve attendance. They added that ESIC medical facilities will be extended to workers in the plantation sector.
The government also revised paid leave rules for workers in manufacturing, textiles, retail and construction sectors. Earlier, workers needed 240 days of service in a year to earn paid leave. The new labour laws reduce the requirement to 180 days. Officials said the change supports workers who face shifting schedules and frequent workload changes.
The new structure marks a significant shift in labour policy. It also sets new standards for employee welfare under a unified legal framework.
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