Overview

• The amended Shops and Commercial Establishments Act took effect on August 5, formally lifting the ban on women’s night-shift work in private establishments in Odisha.
• Women may work between 7 pm and 6 am only with their written consent, and each shift must include at least three women employees along with a female supervisor.
• Employers are required to provide police-verified GPS transport or safe nearby lodging, install adequate lighting and CCTV coverage, and ensure clean restrooms and drinking water.
• Adolescents and minors remain barred from night duties, and no woman may be scheduled for back-to-back day and night shifts without an eight-hour rest period.
• Employers must submit electronic self-certifications of compliance to the Labour and Employees’ State Insurance Department, which will oversee enforcement and impose penalties for violations under state law.