The Telangana government has announced a new rule that allows commercial businesses (except shops) to increase the daily working hours of employees from 8 hours to 10 hours per day.
However, there is an important condition: Employees should not work more than 48 hours in a week. If someone works extra hours beyond 48 in a week, they must be paid overtime.
This means that if a company makes an employee work 10 hours a day for a few days, it must reduce their working hours on other days of the week. The new rule will officially start once it is published in the government gazette on July 8.
Sources also say the government may soon allow longer working hours in factories too.
Officials from the Labour Department said this change is in line with a central government suggestion to make doing business easier. In fact, Andhra Pradesh had already increased daily working hours from 9 to 10 hours last month.
The order also mentions:
- No employee should work more than 6 hours at a stretch without a break of at least 30 minutes.
- The total time at the workplace, including breaks, should not go beyond 12 hours a day.
- Employees can work extra hours beyond 48 hours a week, but the maximum overtime allowed is 144 hours in 3 months.
- If any company breaks these rules, the government can cancel their permission without warning.
This move is expected to affect many sectors like hotels, IT, and ITeS companies, giving them more flexibility while ensuring employees are protected with limits and fair pay.
