Working Hours & Overtime

Working Hours in India 2026 - State-Wise Rules & Overtime

State-wise daily and weekly working hour limits, overtime pay, spread-over, rest intervals, and women night-shift rules under the Factories Act, the Code on Wages, and state Shops Acts. Verified citations for payroll, HR, and audit teams.

Hrs / week cap

Hrs / day cap

Overtime rate

30 min

Rest after 5 hrs

Key Takeaway Last reviewed: September 2026

What are the working hours rules in India?

Indian law caps work at 9 hours/day and 48 hours/week under the Factories Act, 1948 (Sec 51, 54). Overtime is paid at twice the ordinary wage (Sec 59). State Shops Acts set similar limits, with Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh capping daily work at 8 hours.

Key Facts

Working Hours at a Glance

9 hrs / day, 48 hrs / week

Statutory cap under Section 51 and 54 of the Factories Act, 1948.

30 min rest after 5 hrs

Mandatory rest interval under Section 55 of the Factories Act.

2x overtime rate

Overtime paid at double the ordinary wage under Section 59 and Code on Wages Section 14.

10.5 hrs spread-over

Total daily span including breaks under Section 56 of the Factories Act.

State-Wise Rules 2026

Working Hours by State (Shops & Establishments Acts)

Daily and weekly limits, spread-over, and overtime caps under each state Shops and Commercial Establishments Act. Verify the current notification with the state labour department before HR policy roll-out.

State / UT	Daily (hrs)	Weekly (hrs)	Spread-over	OT Cap	Detail
Andaman & Nicobar Islands	10	48	10.5 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
Andhra Pradesh	8	48	12 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
Arunachal Pradesh	8	48	10.5 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
Assam	9	48	11 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
Bihar	9	48	12 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
Chandigarh	9	48	12 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
Chhattisgarh	9	48	12 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu	9	48	12 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
Delhi	9	48	10.5 hrs	54 hrs / week	View
Goa	9	48	12 hrs	6 hrs / week	View
Gujarat	9	48	12 hrs	125 hrs / quarter	View
Haryana	9	48	12 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
Himachal Pradesh	9	48	12 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
Jammu & Kashmir	9	48	10.5 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
Jharkhand	9	48	12 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
Karnataka	9	48	10.5 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
Kerala	8	48	12 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
Ladakh	9	48	10.5 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
Lakshadweep	8	48	10.5 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
Madhya Pradesh	9	48	12 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
Maharashtra	9	48	10.5 hrs	125 hrs / quarter	View
Manipur	8	48	10.5 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
Meghalaya	8	48	10.5 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
Mizoram	8	48	10.5 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
Nagaland	8	48	10.5 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
Odisha	9	48	12 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
Puducherry	8	48	10.5 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
Punjab	9	48	12 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
Rajasthan	9	48	12 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
Sikkim	8	48	10.5 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
Tamil Nadu	8	48	12 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
Telangana	8	48	12 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
Tripura	8	48	10.5 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
Uttar Pradesh	9	48	12 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
Uttarakhand	9	48	12 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View
West Bengal	8.5	48	10.5 hrs	50 hrs / quarter	View

Source: respective state Shops & Establishments Acts. Verified as on September 2026. Cross-check the latest state notification before drafting an HR policy.

Sector Rules

Working Hours by Sector

Different Acts apply to different sectors. Factories, mines, plantations, motor transport, and shops each follow their own working-hour rules.

Sector	Governing Act	Daily	Weekly	Rest	OT Rate	OT Cap
Factories	Factories Act, 1948	9 hrs (Section 54)	48 hrs (Section 51)	30 min after 5 hrs (Section 55)	2x ordinary wage (Section 59)	50 hrs / quarter (Section 64)
Shops & Establishments	State S&E Acts	8 to 9 hrs (state-specific)	48 hrs	Varies by state Act	2x ordinary wage	State-specific cap
Mines (below ground)	Mines Act, 1952	8 hrs	48 hrs	As per regulations	2x ordinary wage	As notified by Chief Inspector
Plantations	Plantations Labour Act, 1951	9 hrs (adults)	48 hrs	30 min after continuous work	2x ordinary wage	Section 19
Motor Transport	Motor Transport Workers Act, 1961	8 hrs	48 hrs	30 min after 5 hrs	2x ordinary wage	Section 13
IT / ITES / BPO	State S&E Act + IT exemption notifications	9 hrs	48 hrs	Per state Act	2x ordinary wage	Night-shift exemption for women in most states

Overtime Computation

How Overtime Is Calculated in India

Identify base wage

Use basic + dearness allowance as the ordinary wage rate under Section 59 of the Factories Act.

Count extra hours

Any work beyond 9 hours per day or 48 hours per week counts as overtime.

Apply 2x multiplier

Pay the worker double the ordinary hourly rate for every overtime hour worked.

Track quarterly cap

Stay within the state-prescribed quarterly OT cap. Maintain Form IX or equivalent register.

Worked Example

Ordinary hourly wage = Rs 100. Worker logs 10 OT hours in a week.

Overtime rate = Rs 100 x 2 = Rs 200 per hour
Total OT pay = 10 hrs x Rs 200 = Rs 2,000
OT entered in Form IX register for the wage period

Women & Night Shift

Women Working in Night Shifts

Section 66 of the Factories Act earlier restricted women to day-time work between 6 AM and 7 PM. Most Indian states now permit women in night shifts under conditional notifications, especially in IT, ITES, BPO, and manufacturing.

States with night-shift exemption for women:

Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh
Delhi, Haryana, Gujarat, Kerala, West Bengal
Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh

Employer obligations

Written consent of woman worker
Door-to-door safe transport at company cost
Minimum 4 women per shift
CCTV in work areas, washrooms, transport pickup points
Internal Complaints Committee under POSH Act, 2013
Adequate lighting and security guards
Notification filed with state labour department

Penalty Risk

What Happens If You Breach Working-Hour Limits

Labour inspectors check working-hour registers, attendance, and overtime payments during inspections. Default attracts fines and prosecution under the Factories Act and state Shops Acts.

Factories Act, Section 92: fine up to Rs 1 lakh and imprisonment up to 2 years.
State Shops Acts: fine ranges from Rs 1,000 to Rs 50,000 per offence.
Continuing offence: additional daily fine until compliance.
OT pay default: arrears plus interest under the Payment of Wages Act, 1936.

HRMS Software in India

Track Hours and Overtime Across Every State

HRMS Software in India captures attendance from biometric, GPS, and selfie, applies state-wise daily and weekly caps, flags spread-over breaches, and computes overtime at 2x. Form IX, Form 5, and OT registers stay audit-ready.

Book Compliance Demo

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FAQ

Working Hours Frequently Asked Questions

What is the maximum working hours per day in India?

Adults can work up to 9 hours per day in factories under Section 54 of the Factories Act, 1948. State Shops and Establishments Acts cap daily hours at 8 or 9, depending on the state. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana cap at 8 hours. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi, and Gujarat allow 9 hours.

What is the weekly working hour limit in India?

The Factories Act caps weekly work at 48 hours under Section 51. All state Shops and Establishments Acts follow the same 48-hour weekly limit. Hours beyond 48 in a week are treated as overtime and paid at twice the ordinary rate.

How is overtime paid in India?

Overtime is paid at twice the ordinary wage rate under Section 59 of the Factories Act and Section 14 of the Code on Wages, 2019. The overtime rate covers basic wage plus dearness allowance. The Code on Wages standardises this rate across all wage-earning workers in India.

What is the spread-over limit for working hours?

Spread-over is the total time between start and end of work in a day, including rest and meal breaks. The Factories Act caps spread-over at 10.5 hours under Section 56. State Shops Acts vary from 10.5 hours in Maharashtra and Karnataka to 12 hours in most other states.

Can women work in night shifts in India?

Yes, with state-specific conditions. Section 66 of the Factories Act earlier restricted women to day-shift work. Most states now allow women in night shifts in IT, ITES, BPO, and factories with safety arrangements, transport, and consent. Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh have issued night-shift notifications for women.

What is the maximum overtime allowed per quarter?

The Factories Act caps quarterly overtime at 50 hours under Section 64. Several state amendments raise this cap. Maharashtra and Gujarat allow up to 125 hours per quarter under recent amendments. The OSH Code, 2020 proposes a uniform 125-hour quarterly cap when fully notified.

What rest interval is required during a work day?

Section 55 of the Factories Act requires a rest interval of at least 30 minutes after every 5 hours of continuous work. State Shops Acts mirror this rule. The rest interval is not counted towards working hours but is included in spread-over.

Does HRMS Software in India track working hours and overtime?

Yes. HRMS Software in India captures biometric, GPS, and geo-fenced attendance, applies state-wise daily and weekly caps, flags spread-over breaches, and computes overtime at the right multiplier. The system generates Form IX, Form 5, and audit-ready records for inspectors.

Stay Inside the 48-Hour Cap Across Every State

HRMS Software in India enforces state-wise working-hour caps on every shift, flags overtime breaches, and computes pay at 2x automatically. Inspectors get audit-ready Form IX records.

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