Maharashtra Labour Law 2025: Longer Work Hours, IT Employee Rights, and the Big Debate

 The Maharashtra government’s new labour law amendment (2025) has triggered a heated debate across industries. With the cabinet’s approval to extend working hours in shops, IT companies, and factories, questions around employee rights, work-life balance, and fair treatment are louder than ever.

Key Highlights of the Maharashtra Labour Law Amendment 2025

  • Work Hours Extended

    • Shops, establishments, and IT sector companies can now increase the daily shift from 9 to 10 hours.

    • In factories, the workday may stretch up to 12 hours, with double overtime wages, subject to employee consent.

  • Overtime Limit Raised

    • Maximum overtime has been increased to 144 hours per quarter, up from earlier caps of 100–125 hours.

  • Applicability Narrowed

    • Only establishments with 20+ employees will be covered, reducing compliance from 8.5 million units to about 56,000.

  • Work-Life Balance Provisions

    • A 30-minute break after every 6 hours of work (instead of 5 hours earlier).

    • If weekly work hours are completed in 4 days, the remaining 2 days must be given as paid leave.

These reforms still need Maharashtra assembly approval and, in certain cases, Presidential assent to become enforceable.

Pune IT Sector Questions Government

The Forum of IT Employees (FITE) in Pune has voiced sharp concerns. While they welcomed the state’s focus on the private sector, they questioned why reforms are one-sided. Their demands include:

  • 30-day notice period instead of 90 days.

  • Proper background verification before issuing offer letters.

  • Transparent and timely full & final settlements.

  • Instant relieving letters upon resignation or termination.

  • Updating outdated labour terms like “workman.”

For IT professionals, the worry is clear: longer working hours without stronger employee protections is a step backwards.

Trade Unions Protest Extended Working Hours

Labour unions across Maharashtra are planning protests, arguing the decision could lead to:

  • Worker exploitation under “consent pressure.”

  • Reduced focus on employee health, since medical checks are now mandatory only after age 45.

  • A possible violation of ILO conventions that India has signed.

Why This Labour Reform Matters

  • For businesses: More flexibility, reduced compliance for smaller shops, and potentially higher productivity.

  • For employees: Possibility of higher overtime earnings, but also longer hours, fatigue, and weaker protections.

  • For policy direction: Maharashtra joins states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Telangana in aggressively reforming labour laws to attract global investment.

Conclusion: Reform or Rollback?

The Maharashtra Labour Law Amendment 2025 is being seen as a bold economic move—but also as a risky social experiment. While it promises efficiency and growth, it also risks diluting employee rights and work-life balance.

The coming months will reveal whether the state can strike a balance between labour reforms for business growth and protecting IT sector employees, factory workers, and shop staff from overwork.


#MaharashtraLabourLaw #ITEmployeeRights #WorkingHours #LabourReforms #OvertimeRules #PuneITSector #FactoryWorkers #EmployeeRightsIndia

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