The Gujarat Factories (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 effective from 1st July, 2025 has made some important changes in matters pertaining to daily working hours, female night shift working and permissible overtime limit. The salient features of the same are as follows.
The daily working hours may now be extended up to 12 hours a day, including rest intervals, with a cap of 48 hours per week. This applies only with the written consent of the worker, and the remaining days in the week will be treated as paid holidays.
The maximum continuous work without a break can be extended to 6 hours, as notified by the government.
The total “spread over” (total time including breaks) can be increased to 12 hours per day by notification.
Revised overtime wage eligibility:
More than 9 hours per day/48 hours per week for 6-day week
More than 10 hours per day/48 hours per week for 5-day week
More than 11.5 hours per day for 4-day week
Working on paid holidays
In these cases, workers are entitled to double wages for overtime.
The permissible quarterly overtime limit has increased from 75 hours to 125 hours, subject to worker consent.
For women workers, night shift permissions (between 7 PM and 6 AM) may be granted by the State, provided the employer ensures stringent safeguards, including:
* Prevention of sexual harassment, with clear redressal procedures
* Adequate lighting and CCTV coverage inside and around the factory
* Transport facilities with security guards and GPS-equipped vehicles
* Mandatory group employment (minimum 10 women per night shift)
* Prohibition of mandatory night shifts; written consent is essential
* Shift changes only after weekly or other holidays
* At least one-third of night supervisory staff to be women
* Safe routes and proper rest facilities for women workers
* Other measures as notified by the State
