Government Of NCT Delhi Amends Shops & Establishments Act To Revise Working Hours And Night Shift Norms.

The GNCTD, by way of the Delhi Shops and Establishments (Amendment) Act, 2026¹ (“S&E Amendment Act”), has amended the Delhi Shops and Establishments Act, 1954 (“S&E Act”). The S&E Amendment Act was passed by the Delhi Legislative Assembly on 09.11.2026, received the assent of the President of India on 23.02.2026, and was published in the Delhi Gazette (Extraordinary) on 11.03.2026. The S&E Amendment Act introduces the following key changes to the S&E Act:

1. the Principal Act shall now apply only to shops and establishments employing twenty or more employees;
2. the minimum age threshold for employment has been raised from the twelfth to the fourteenth year;
3. the maximum daily working hours have been revised from nine hours to ten hours (inclusive of rest interval and lunch break), and the weekly overtime cap has been increased from 54 hours to 60 hours, with the aggregate overtime limit revised from 150 hours per year to 144 hours per quarter;
4. the continuous work period before a rest interval is required has been extended from five hours to six hours;
5. the spread-over limit has been standardised to twelve hours across all establishments; and
6. Section 14 has been substituted to prohibit young persons from working night shifts in any establishment, while permitting women to be employed during night hours (9:00 PM to 7:00 AM in summer and 8:00 PM to 8:00 AM in winter) with their written consent, subject to conditions including adequate CCTV surveillance, security, transportation, a minimum of two women employees on night duty, compliance with the Prevention of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, and a prohibition on employing women within six weeks following confinement or miscarriage.

The S&E Amendment Act shall come into force on such date as may be notified by the GNCTD in the Official Gazette.

Footnote

1. Delhi Shops and Establishments (Amendment) Act, 2026

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