The Haryana Assembly passed a bill on December 22, 2025 (Monday), increasing the daily working hours for employees of shops and private commercial establishments from 9 hours to 10 hours.
The Haryana Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Bill, 2025 has been passed to amend the Haryana Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1958. Despite the increased daily work limit, the bill retains the overall weekly limit of 48 hours.
The bill also includes a provision that increases the permissible limit of overtime work per quarter from 50 hours to 156 hours in a bid to help shops and commercial establishments to meet peak business demands more efficiently. Additionally, the bill proposes increases the maximum period of continuous work without rest from five to six hours.
As per Labour Minister Anil Vij, the Bill will reduce the compliance burden on smaller establishments through reforms for promoting economic growth while ensuring continued protection for workers. He added that the Bill will benefit both workers and shopkeepers, and that it is in the interests of workers as well as traders.
On the other hand, Congress MLA Aditya Surjewala wondered about some of the provisions, asking if it was ease of doing business or legalising “modern-day slavery.” He has moved an amendment, backed by his party legislators, to retain the existing nine-hour limit. However, this was rejected by the House by voice vote.
Surjewala added that the provision to increase the daily working hours from nine to ten and increasing overtime from 50 hours to 156, which would work out to two extra hours every day.
“Now, take 10 hours of daily work with two hours of overtime. If any person has to work 12 hours a day for six days a week, what time does it leave for himself or his family?” asked the MLA.
The bill also increases the threshold limit from zero employees to 20 or more employees in any establishment for registration and other regulatory provisions. This, as per Vij, will reduce compliance burden for smaller businesses, hence encouraging job creation and eliminate the fear of non-compliance. Earlier, every shopkeeper was required to register.
