COVID-19 lockdown effect: Odisha government increases working hours for staff

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has decided to increase the working hours by four hours per day to make up for the man-hours lost due to the extended nationwide lockdown. Announcing the decision, chief spokesperson on COVID-19 Subroto Bagchi said that working hours have been increased following requests from industries.

He said the working hours have been increased by from 8 hours to 12 hours per day, and 48 hours to 72 hours per week with overtime pay. Earlier legal provisions relating to weekly and daily hours and interval for rest of adult workers will be exempted for three months and 12-hour shift will be allowed in this period with conditions. 

According to a notification issued by the Labour and ESI department, no adult worker will be allowed or required to work in a factory for more than 12 hours in any day and 72 hours in any week. The periods of work of adult workers in a factory each day will be so fixed that no period will exceed six hours and no worker will work for more than six hours before he has an interval for rest of at least half an hour. The total spread over will not exceed 13 hours, the notification stated.

Besides, no female worker will be allowed to work in a factory between 7 pm and 6 am unless specifically permitted by the Government in this regard. Additional four hours of overtime wages per day will be paid as prescribed under Section 59 of Factories Act, subject to an overtime limit of 24 hours per week. Other guidelines issued from time to time under COVID-19 will have to observed scrupulously, the notification said.