Introduction
The Government of Chhattisgarh has introduced important changes to the regulation of shops and commercial establishments through the Chhattisgarh Shops and Establishments Amendment Act 2025.
The amendment, published in the Official Gazette on 8 July 2026, modifies the Chhattisgarh Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 2017. It has been published as Chhattisgarh Act No. 11 of 2026 and comes into force from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.
The amendment significantly revises the applicability threshold, daily working-hour limits, rest intervals, spread-over period, quarterly overtime ceiling and the conditions relating to the employment of women during night hours.
For employers, HR professionals, compliance officers, retail businesses and commercial establishments operating in Chhattisgarh, these changes require an immediate review of working-hour policies, shift schedules, overtime records and employee safety arrangements.
Key Changes at a Glance
Compliance Area | Earlier Provision | Amended Provision | Practical Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
Applicability threshold | Applicable to establishments employing 10 or more workers | Threshold increased to 20 or more workers | Establishments employing fewer than 20 workers may fall outside the applicability provision, subject to the complete Act and any other applicable notifications |
Women working during night hours | Restriction applied to employment of women during prescribed night hours | Women may be permitted to work between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., subject to conditions notified by the State Government | Employers must wait for and comply with prescribed safety, consent, transport and welfare conditions |
Maximum daily working hours | Maximum 9 hours per day | Increased to 10 hours per day | Establishments can design longer shifts, but overtime and weekly-hour requirements must still be monitored |
Continuous work before rest interval | Maximum 5 hours before the prescribed rest interval | Increased to 6 hours | Shift and break schedules may be revised, while ensuring employees receive the legally required rest interval |
Proviso under Section 8(1) | A proviso existed under the daily-hours and rest-interval provision | The proviso has been omitted | Employers should update policies based on the revised main provision without relying on the deleted proviso |
Spread-over of working hours | Maximum spread-over of 10½ hours | Increased to 12 hours | Total time from the beginning to the end of the working day, including rest intervals, may extend up to 12 hours |
Intermittent or urgent work exception | Separate wording existed for intermittent or urgent work | The specific phrase has been deleted | The revised 12-hour spread-over provision should be applied in accordance with the amended Section 8 |
Quarterly overtime limit | Maximum 125 hours per quarter | Increased to 144 hours per quarter | Employers receive greater operational flexibility but must maintain accurate overtime records and pay overtime at the prescribed rate |