Overview

• The state cabinet approved amendments to the Factories Act, 1948, and the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments Act, 2017, raising the daily limit for private-sector employees to 10 hours.
• Factory shifts can extend up to 12 hours with adjusted rest breaks after six hours, and quarterly overtime ceilings will increase to 144 hours.
• Overtime will require written employee consent and must be paid at double the basic wage plus allowances, according to officials.
• Changes under the Shops and Establishments law apply to workplaces with 20 or more workers, while smaller establishments will move from registration to a simple notification process.
• The government frames the move as pro-investment and job-creating, while early reaction on social media criticizes potential risks to work-life balance; the ordinance and legislative steps are pending.