The Punjab Government has issued a notification dated September 20, 2023 that supersedes a previous order, granting temporary exemptions to all factories from certain provisions of the Factories Act, 1948, to manage exceptional work pressure in the industry. However, these exemptions come with conditions: daily work hours must not exceed twelve, the spread-over should not exceed thirteen hours a day, weekly work hours including overtime should not exceed sixty, and overtime work by a worker should not exceed seven consecutive days with a quarterly limit of 115 hours. Factories must maintain an overtime logbook for inspection by Labor Department officers. Non-compliance with these conditions or other provisions of the Act and Rules will result in the withdrawal of the overtime facility. Factories are also required to pay minimum wages for overtime as per the Factories Act, 1948, and wages fixed for overtime under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, and The Punjab Minimum Wages Rules, 1950.
