New labour law: four days of work a week, 12 hours of work every day

The government has published a set of four new labour codes that are set to make a significant impact on how an employee’s salary and the workweek are viewed. New labour law: four days of work, 12 hours of work every day from next month. There has yet to be an official announcement as to when the new codes will be implemented, however reports say that July 1st is the set date in all likelihood.

23 states and Union Territories (UTs) have already published draft Wage Code standards. When the codes take effect, employees may see increased work hours, changes in PF contributions, a four-day work week, and a decrease in take-home pay.

Under the new codes, an employer can allow its employees to work for four days instead of five a week. But there is a catch. An employee may do a 4-day work week but will see a significant increase in their work hours to 12 hours per day. The number of working hours will not be reduced even if there is a 4-day work week.

In the new labour law, the new pay code requires a 48-hour work week. So naturally, the number of daily working hours will see a sharp increase. Employees will have to increase their current eight- or nine-hour workday to a 12-hour shift if they want to opt for the 4-day week. This will apply to all industries but may change based on state law.

There has been no change in the amount of leave, but employees will now get one leave for every 20 days of work instead of 45. Additionally, an employee will be eligible to apply for leave 180 days after joining a company, reduced from 240, after the new codes are implemented.

There are 29 central labour laws consolidated under four codes on wages, occupational health, social security, and labour relations. Parliament passed the Wages Code in August 2019 and the rest of the codes were passed in September 2020. Only after all states notify the new rules can the codes be implemented as the job is under the Concurrent List of the Constitution.