Union govt mulls giving companies flexibility to have a 4-day work week

The Union government on Monday said it is considering changes to the proposed rules under the new labour laws wherein it may give flexibility to employers to have a four-day work week, with longer shifts per day. However, employees cannot be made to work more than 48 hours a week even if this is allowed.

Union Labour Secretary Apurva Chandra told reporters on Monday that employers will be able to allow a four-day work week with a 12-hour workday and three days’ paid leave, or five-day work week with nearly 10-hour workdays with two paid weekly leaves. Daily work hours can be modified with the consent of employees between eight to 12 hours per day. If allowed, this will not be a compulsion but a prerogative of the employees or employers. “It gives flexibility. It’s an enabling provision in sync with the changing work culture,” Chandra told reporters.

This will be part of the labour code, the new rules under which are being finalised. Once implemented, this will enable employers to shift from four to five-day work weeks based on employee consent, without seeking government approval. The Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions, 2020 will apply to all establishments and factories.

The Labour Ministry will also likely set up a web portal where unorganised sector workers, including gig, platform and migrant workers can register by June this year. This platform will reportedly help put together health, housing, skill, insurance and credit schemes for the migrant workforce. Those registered would also be given an incentive of a year’s worth of free coverage against accidents and disability under the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana.

Apart from the Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions, the Union government is also formulating rules under the Code on Wages, Industrial Relations; and the Code on Social Security Codes. The Union Labour Secretary said that rule-making will likely be completed in the coming week, and that all stakeholders have been consulted. The Labour Ministry had initially planned to implement the labour codes from April 1, 2021.