How many hours can I be made to work? Do I get overtime?
Simple answer
Under the OSH Code, a worker can generally work up to 8 hours a day and 6 days a week (48 hours). Overtime needs your consent and must be paid at twice your normal wage rate. Shops and offices may also follow state rules.
Real-life examples
Gurpreet works in a Jalandhar factory. Last week he worked 56 hours with his consent. The 8 extra hours must be paid at twice his normal hourly wage.
Priya, a team manager at an IT firm in Bhubaneswar, often works 11-hour days. As she is employed mainly in a managerial role, she is not a 'worker' under the OSH Code. Her hours and overtime depend on her contract and the state Shops and Establishments law.
What should you do?
- 1Keep your own record of daily start and end times, plus messages asking you to stay late.
- 2Check your appointment letter for working hours, and whether your role is a 'worker' or a manager.
- 3If you don't agree to overtime, say so politely in writing. Overtime needs your consent.
- 4Ask in writing for unpaid overtime at the double rate, and check that it appears on your salary slip.
- 5If it stays unpaid, file a claim with the labour authority or on SAMADHAN within 3 years.
Exceptions & limits
- People employed mainly as managers or administrators, and supervisors earning over ₹18,000 a month, are not 'workers' for these hour limits.
- These OSH Code limits apply to establishments with 10 or more workers. Smaller shops and offices follow the state Shops and Establishments Act.
- Governments can exempt some workers from the weekly-holiday rule (with compensatory holidays) and can cap total overtime hours.
Official legal reference
Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 — Section 25
No worker may be required or allowed to work more than 8 hours a day; intervals and spread-over as notified by government.
Earlier: Factories Act, 1948, Sections 51, 54Read the official textOccupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 — Section 26
No worker may work more than six days a week; lost weekly holidays must be given back as compensatory holidays.
Earlier: Factories Act, 1948, Sections 52, 53Read the official textOccupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 — Section 27
Overtime is paid at twice the wage rate and needs the worker's consent; government may cap total overtime hours.
Earlier: Factories Act, 1948, Section 59Read the official textCode on Wages, 2019 — Section 14
Work beyond a normal working day must be paid at an overtime rate of at least twice the normal wage.
Earlier: Minimum Wages Act, 1948, Section 14Read the official textOccupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 — Section 2(1)(zzl)
'Worker' excludes people employed mainly in managerial or administrative roles and supervisors earning over ₹18,000 a month.
Where to get help
SAMADHAN (labour disputes)
File labour disputes like unpaid wages with the labour authorities.
NALSA Free Legal Aid
Free lawyer and legal advice for eligible people through Legal Services Authorities.
Source & status
- Applies to
- Varies by state
- Spread-over, overtime caps and hours for shops and offices are set by state rules. Some states allow longer daily hours within a weekly limit. Check your state's rules under the OSH Code and its Shops and Establishments Act.
- Law in force since
- 21 Nov 2025
- Legal review
- Draft — awaiting lawyer review
Educational information, not legal advice for your case. Exact facts and the law that applies matter — speak to a lawyer before acting.