New Labor Codes: A big relief news is coming for the employees burdened with work. Like many countries of the world, the system of only 4 days of work a week and 3 consecutive days of holidays (3-Day Weekend) may soon be implemented in India too. This change is not sudden, but has become possible under the new labor laws of the Central Government.
On one hand, while the country’s metro cities Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru still mainly follow the 5-day work week, on the other hand, employees have been demanding for a long time that they should want a better work-life balance. 4-day work week is running successfully in countries like Japan and Germany and now India is also taking steps in this direction.
Working hours fixed at 48, 12 hour shift relaxation
The Ministry of Labor and Employment has recently confirmed this big possibility through a ‘mythbuster’ post on social media. The ministry clarified that according to the new labor code, the maximum number of working hours in a week has been fixed at 48 hours.
But, the biggest question here is that how will 48 hours be completed in 4 days? Responding to this, the Ministry said that the amended Labor Code gives the flexibility to the companies that if they wish, they can make their employees do 12-hour shifts. This simply means that if your company chooses 12-hour shifts, you will have to work only 4 days a week. The remaining 3 days will be your paid holidays. That means, your salary will not be cut.
12 hour shift also includes breaks
Employees may worry that it will be difficult to work continuously for 12 hours. On this, the Ministry has clarified that this period of 12 hours will also include necessary breaks or spread-overs for the employees. This ensures that employees get adequate rest time during work.
You will get double payment for overtime
The interest of the employees has been given priority in the new law. If a company exceeds the weekly limit of 48 hours or gets work done for more than 12 hours, it will be considered a violation of the rules. The Labor Ministry has said that if employees work more than the prescribed number of hours per day, the company will have to pay double the rate for overtime. This rule ensures that employees are not exploited.
What is the new labor code of the government?
On November 21, 2025, the Central Government abolished 29 old and complex labor laws and implemented four new labor codes in their place. These codes have been brought to improve the rights and workplace safety of crores of employees working in different sectors. This includes the Wage Code 2019, Industrial Relations Code 2020, Social Security Code 2020 and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code 2020.