Working Hours and Overtime in Telangana

Source: Factories Act, 1948, ss. 51–66; Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020, Chapter IV (enacted, rules pending); Shops and Establishments Acts (state-level); Code on Wages, 2019, s. 14 (overtime rate)

Reviewed by the Commoner Law Editorial Team. Sourced from Indian central (Union) law — Constitution of India, central Acts of Parliament, and Supreme Court decisions. State-level information reflects each state's own Acts and High Court rulings. Written in plain language for general understanding — this is educational content, not legal advice. Our editorial standards

Indian Central Law

What is this right?

Central law caps daily and weekly working hours for workers in factories and, under the new codes, for establishments more broadly.

Factories: Maximum 9 hours per day and 48 hours per week (s. 51, 54, Factories Act). A spread-over (start to finish) cannot exceed 10.5 hours without permission.
Overtime: Any work beyond 9 hours/day or 48 hours/week must be paid at twice the ordinary wage rate (s. 59, Factories Act; s. 14, Code on Wages).
Rest intervals: Workers cannot work more than 5 continuous hours without a half-hour rest break (s. 55, Factories Act).
Weekly holiday: Every worker is entitled to one whole day of rest per week (s. 52).
Shops and offices are governed by state Shops and Establishments Acts, which broadly mirror the factory limits (typically 8–9 hours/day, 48 hours/week, one weekly off).

When does it apply?

You work in a factory as defined under the Factories Act (10 or more workers with power, or 20 without).
You work in a commercial establishment, shop, or office covered by the applicable state Shops and Establishments Act.
You are required to work beyond the prescribed daily or weekly hours.

What to Do If Your Employer in India Denies Overtime Pay

Keep a personal record of your daily start and end times and any overtime worked.
Your employer is required by law to maintain a register of working hours (Form 12 under Factories Rules) — you may request to inspect it.
If overtime is not paid at double rate, file a complaint with the Inspector of Factories (for factory workers) or the Labour Inspector / Inspector-cum-Facilitator under the Code on Wages.
Claims for underpaid overtime wages can be filed before the Authority under the Code on Wages within three years.

What should you NOT do?

Do not agree in writing to waive overtime pay — such clauses are void against statutory provisions.
Do not work more than 75 hours of overtime per quarter (s. 64, Factories Act) without specific government permission — excess overtime is illegal and poses safety risks.
Do not assume that a salary package includes all overtime — overtime must be paid separately at the statutory double rate.

Telangana Law

How Telangana differs from central law

Working hours and overtime pay in Telangana are governed primarily by the Telangana Shops and Establishments Act, 1988 (Act No. 20 of 1988), adapted for the new state via G.O.Ms.No. 5, LET&F (Labour) Dept dated 01.02.2016 (effective 02.06.2014), together with the Factories Act, 1948 for factory workers. The central Code on Wages, 2019 and Industrial Relations Code, 2020 became operational on 21 November 2025, but the Telangana Code on Wages Rules remain in draft (G.O.Rt.No. 480 dated 29-09-2021), so the 1988 Act continues to drive day-to-day enforcement.

Daily and weekly cap (§§9, 16): 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week for both shops and other commercial establishments. Overtime is capped at 6 hours in any one week, plus up to 24 hours per year for stock-taking (maximum 6 stock-taking days).
Rest and spread-over (§§10, 11, 17, 18): At least a 1-hour rest interval after every 5 continuous hours (the Chief Inspector may reduce this to 30 minutes when the daily duty is under 8 hours). Total spread-over, including breaks, cannot exceed 12 hours per day (14 hours on stock-taking days).
Weekly holiday and paid holidays (§§12, 19, 31): Shops must close one full day per week; other establishments must grant a weekly holiday. Section 31 guarantees nine statutory paid holidays per year, including 26 January, 1 May, 15 August, 2 October, and 2 June (Telangana Formation Day).
Overtime wages (§37): Overtime is payable at twice the ordinary rate of wages. Where normal hours are less than 8/48, hours up to 8/48 are paid at the ordinary rate and anything beyond 8/48 at double. The §37 multiplier has been unchanged since 1988 and cannot be contracted out. The Factories Act, 1948 §59(1) applies the same 2× rate beyond 9 hours/day or 48 hours/week for factory workers, with an overall cap under §64(4) of 60 hours/week and 50 overtime hours/quarter.
Women and young persons (§§20-23): Children under 14 are prohibited from employment. Young persons aged 14-18 are confined to work between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m., maximum 7 hours/day and 42 hours/week, with no overtime. Women are barred before 6 a.m. or after 8:30 p.m. unless a specific exemption is granted.
IT/ITES blanket exemption: G.O.Ms.No. 5, LET&F (Lab-I) Dept dated 07-06-2024 extends the IT/ITES exemption from §§15, 16, 21, 23, and 31 for four years, up to 30.05.2028. The 48-hour weekly cap, weekly off, and overtime wage obligations remain intact. Women night-shift conditions require secured transport, female-only pick-up/drop, CCTV/control-room monitoring, driver pre-screening, and at least 5 women per night shift.
10-hour day exemption for non-shop commercial establishments: G.O.Rt.No. 282, LET&F (Lab-I) Dept dated 05-07-2025 permits up to 10 hours per day within the 48-hour weekly cap. Any hour beyond 48 in a week remains overtime at 2×, and the new quarterly overtime ceiling is 144 hours per quarter. A 30-minute rest is required after 6 hours and the 12-hour spread-over still applies. Non-compliance revokes the exemption.
Exclusions (§73): The Act does not apply to persons in managerial positions with control and wages above the 1988 threshold of ₹1,600/month (still on the books), nor to Central/State Government, local authorities, RBI, railway, cantonment, mines, oil fields, temporary fair/festival bazaars, or intermittent-work roles (caretakers, sweepers, travelling staff, loading/unloading workers).
Limitation for wage claims: Payment of Wages Act §15(2) allows a 12-month limitation (condonable for sufficient cause). Section 51 of the S&E Act prescribes a 1-year limitation, and §51(2) allows compensation up to 10× the deducted amount. Once Telangana notifies its Code on Wages rules, §14 of the Code on Wages, 2019 will continue the 2× overtime rate with a 3-year limitation under §45.

Worked example: A Hyderabad back-office employee at a non-shop commercial establishment works 10 hours/day × 6 days = 60 hours/week. The 12 hours beyond 48 are overtime. At an ordinary rate of ₹200/hour, §37 overtime is 2 × ₹200 = ₹400/hour, i.e. 12 × ₹400 = ₹4,800 of overtime per week on top of standard wages. Sustained 12 OT hours/week for 13 weeks would total 156 hours, breaching the 144 hours/quarter cap in the 2025 GO and triggering revocation of the exemption.

Additional Steps in Telangana

If your working-hours or overtime rights are violated:

File a written complaint with the Inspector under §57 of the Telangana S&E Act, routed through the Circle or Assistant Commissioner of Labour. The Inspector's §59 powers include entry, register inspection, compounding under §62, and prosecution under §61.
Use the online grievance portal at labour.telangana.gov.in (Commissioner of Labour, Taks Bhavan, RTC Cross Road, near Devi Theatre, Chikkadpally, Hyderabad 500020). For central-law violations, file at registration.shramsuvidha.gov.in.
Escalate to the Commissioner of Labour, Telangana at Taks Bhavan. Industrial disputes go to the Labour Court or Industrial Tribunal under the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 (effective 21-11-2025).
File a wage claim before the Authority under Payment of Wages Act §15(2) within 12 months; retain pay slips, swipe-card/HR-system records, and signed emails evidencing the hours worked.

Avoid:

Assuming IT/ITES is fully exempt. The 48-hour weekly cap and 2× overtime obligation remain in force despite the 2024 extension.
Treating the 2025 10-hour GO as a 60-hour-week entitlement. Anything beyond 48 hours in a week is overtime at 2×, and non-compliance revokes the exemption.
Signing fixed CTC / no overtime clauses. Section 37 cannot be contracted out; only narrow §73 exclusions apply.

Relevant Law: Telangana Shops and Establishments Act, 1988, §§9, 16, 10, 17, 11, 18, 31, 37, 73; Factories Act, 1948, §§51, 54, 55, 59, 64; G.O.Rt.No. 282 of 2025; G.O.Ms.No. 5 of 2024 (IT/ITES exemption); Code on Wages, 2019

Common Questions

When does working hours and overtime apply?

You work in a factory as defined under the Factories Act (10 or more workers with power, or 20 without).You work in a commercial establishment, shop, or office covered by the applicable state Shops and Establishments Act.You are required to work beyond the prescribed daily or weekly hours.

What should I do if my employer in India is not paying me for overtime?

Keep a personal record of your daily start and end times and any overtime worked.Your employer is required by law to maintain a register of working hours (Form 12 under Factories Rules) — you may request to inspect it.If overtime is not paid at double rate, file a complaint with the Inspector of Factories (for factory workers) or the Labour Inspector / Inspector-cum-Facilitator under the Code on Wages.Claims for underpaid overtime wages can be filed before the Authority under the Code on Wages within three years.

What mistakes should I avoid with working hours and overtime?

Do not agree in writing to waive overtime pay — such clauses are void against statutory provisions.Do not work more than 75 hours of overtime per quarter (s. 64, Factories Act) without specific government permission — excess overtime is illegal and poses safety risks.Do not assume that a salary package includes all overtime — overtime must be paid separately at the statutory double rate.

Working Hours and Overtime in other states

Same topic, different jurisdiction. Pick the one that applies to you.