Work Hours In Week: In the midst of the ongoing discussions in the country about the working hours in a week, the Telangana Government has come up with a remarkable decision. The government has sanctioned the move of commercial units (industries and factories) operating with 10 hours of work each day. Furthermore, there is an upper ceiling of total working hours in the week, which stands at 48 hours. A decree was issued by the government on July 5 in this regard. However, shops and malls have been kept out of this.

If you put in more effort, you will be eligible for overtime.

According to the India Today report, the Telangana government has issued a notable order regarding the work week for the sake of doing business in the state. The order released by the Department of Labour, Employment, Training and Factory dated July 5, reflects changes made under the Telangana Shops and Establishments Act of 1988 (Act No. 20 of 1988). As per the government order, there is a provision which states the operating hours for commercial units as not more than 10 hours per day and 48 hours per week. Along with these provisions, the government order also stated that in case employees work beyond these limits, they will be compensated with overtime.

Breaks are Slashed to 30 Minutes, Effective July 8

As per the new announcement made by the government of Telangana, employees who work longer than 10-hour shifts will be entitled to more pay; however, there is a cap of 12 hours on the shift length. Additionally, a 30-minute break is mandatory for every employee who works more than 6 hours daily. This order will come into effect after being published in the Telangana Gazette on July 8.

Failure to abide by the policies will result in a penalty.s

According to the government, the aim behind this policy is to facilitate the ease of doing business in the state. Under these rules, employees working in commercial units can be permitted to exceed 48 hours of work per week with additional pay, but they must not exceed 144 hours of work in any quarter of the year. The government has also stated that in case these provisions are not adhered to, the exemption given to the company will be revoked.

Decision during controversy on work-life balance

The approval by the Telangana government of implementing a working hours proposition comes at a time when the country has been debating work-life balance. The conversation resumed last year when Infosys Chairman N R Narayana Murthy sparked the controversy with his suggestion of 70-hour work weeks, and later was followed by S N Subrahmanyan, L&T Chairman's suggestion of 90-hour work weeks, both claiming it to be beneficial for productivity, for which they were severely criticised.