Rules 2026 explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Chapter V (rules 49 to 54) and Chapter VIII (rules 76 and 77) of the Uttar Pradesh Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Rules, 2026 set the hours, rest, overtime and double-employment rules for workers in the State, and the conditions on which women may be employed at night or in hazardous operations. These rules sit alongside the wage rules, which fix the same working day for pay purposes.
No worker works more than 48 hours in a week, and the day's spread-over is at most ten and a half hours, with no spell above five hours without a half-hour interval. Overtime is paid at twice the ordinary rate; total hours in a day do not exceed ten, and overtime does not exceed one hundred and fifteen hours in a quarter (up to one hundred and forty four with State approval). A woman may work before 6 a.m. or after 7 p.m. only with written consent and the employer's listed arrangements.
The rule set
This article covers the Uttar Pradesh Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Rules, 2026, as notified by notification no. 962/XXXVI-03-2026-1903305 dated 27 August 2026. Later amendments and State notifications under these rules should be checked in the State Gazette. Rule 1(4) says the rules "shall come into force from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette". The wage-side counterpart is our article on working hours, weekly rest, night shift and overtime under the wage rules.
The Central companions are explained in rule 64 on working hours, rules 67 and 68 on weekly and compensatory holidays, rule 69 on overtime wages and rules 83 and 84 on women and dangerous operations. The Uttar Pradesh numbers differ. To check a roster against these limits, a payroll compliance audit is the practical route.
Rule 49: hours and spread-over
No worker is required or allowed to work for more than 48 hours in any week (rule 49(1)). The period of work, including rest intervals, is arranged so as not to spread over more than ten and a half hours in a day, though the State Government may by Gazette notification increase it up to 12 hours for any group or class of establishments (49(2)). No period exceeds five hours, and no worker works more than five hours before an interval of rest of at least half an hour (49(3)). The State Government may notify the working hours in a day within these limits (49(4)).
Rule 50: the weekly day of rest
A notice showing the weekly day of rest is posted in a conspicuous place outside the office of every establishment, with the day of each relay, set or individual if the days differ (50(1) and (2)). No worker is required or allowed to work on the first day of the week unless the worker has a whole-day holiday on one of the three days immediately before or after it, and no substitution may leave anyone working more than ten days consecutively without a whole-day holiday (50(3)). Continuous process factories listed in Schedule-II may work on a daily basis with different first days for groups. The substituted day is counted in the preceding week for weekly hours (50(4)); a holiday of 24 consecutive hours is ensured between shifts when shifts change (50(5)); compensatory rest days are spaced so that not more than two fall in one week (50(6)). For a factory, notice of a substituted day goes to the Inspector-cum-Facilitator electronically or otherwise before the substituted day or the first day of the week, whichever is earlier, and the manager keeps a record (50(9)); a notice can be cancelled by a notice delivered to the Inspector-cum-Facilitator and displayed not later than the day before (50(10)). Under rule 50(11) the State Government may by notification provide for eight holidays with wages in a calendar year, for any establishment, class or all, and a continuous-process worker who works on such a holiday is granted compensatory leave with wages within the period specified, not exceeding one month.
Rule 51: compensatory holidays
Compensatory holidays under section 26(3) are spaced so that not more than two are given in one week. The manager displays, on or before the end of the month in which holidays are lost, a notice of workers allowed compensatory holidays in the following month and their dates; a later change is made not less than three days in advance. A compensatory holiday due is given before the worker is discharged or dismissed and is not counted as part of any notice period.
Rule 52: overtime
| Point | Rule | As printed |
|---|---|---|
| When overtime arises | 52(1) | More than eight hours in a day or more than forty-eight hours in a week |
| Rate | 52(1) | Twice the ordinary rate of wages, paid at the end of each wage period |
| Fractions | 52(2) | 15 to 30 minutes counts as 30 minutes; more than 30 minutes rounded and counted as an hour |
| Monthly-paid workers | 52(3) | Daily wages are 1/26th of monthly wages |
| Overlap | 52(5)(a) | No overlapping of shifts for overtime hours in a factory |
| Advance intimation | 52(5)(b) | In writing or electronically before the overtime starts; overtime slip in duplicate signed by the manager or authorised person |
| Continuous days | 52(5)(c) | Not more than 5 days at one stretch |
| Consent | 52(5)(e) | The worker's written consent |
| Daily hours | 52(6) | Total hours of work in any day not above ten |
| Spread-over | 52(7) | Not above twelve hours in a day, inclusive of rest intervals |
| Quarterly cap | 52(7) proviso | Total overtime not above one hundred and fifteen hours in a quarter, extendable up to one hundred and forty four hours with prior State Government approval for a class of establishment |
Rule 52(4) lists the circumstances in which overtime beyond normal hours may be allowed: urgent repairs; preparatory or complementary work; intermittent work; work that technically must run continuously; articles of prime necessity; seasonal processes; processes dependent on natural forces; engine rooms, boiler houses and power plant; breakdown of machinery; loading or unloading of railway wagons, lorries or trucks; exceptional press of work; and work the State Government notifies in the Gazette as of public importance. In a factory the employer must also ensure the extra hours do not harm health and safety in dangerous operations or hazardous processes (52(5)(d)).
Rule 53 and 54: double employment and notice of period of work
A part-time worker in a factory may work in another establishment, in a category of work the State Government notifies, if a separate attendance register is kept, leave and amenities are given pro rata, and the Code's hours, spread-over, weekly holiday and overtime rules still apply (rule 53). Under rule 54, shift workers are rotated suitably and periods of work are notified to the Inspector-cum-Facilitator; the notice of period of work for adult workers is in Form-13, displayed at or near the main entrance and kept updated; it shows for every day the period during which an adult may be required to work; no one works otherwise than in accordance with it; and a change in the system of work needs the previous sanction of the Inspector-cum-Facilitator before the new notice goes up.
Rules 76 and 77: employment of women
Women may be employed before 6.00 a.m. and beyond 7.00 p.m. in any establishment on the conditions in rule 76, including: written consent; transport from residence and back at the establishment's expense and a visible helpline number; supper; sufficient supervision during working hours and the journey; well maintained toilets, washrooms, changing rooms, drinking facilities, lit passages and CCTV surveillance on the way to these facilities; not fewer than four women employees in a night shift in the premises or department; intimation of the proposed arrangements to the Inspector-cum-Facilitator, who is given a minimum of seven days for verification; a monthly report of women engaged on night shifts and an express report of any untoward incident to the Inspector-cum-Facilitator and the local police station; no employment against the maternity benefit provisions of the Code on Social Security, 2020; additional paid leave that may be permitted during the menstruation period for night shifts; a complaint mechanism under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013; sanitary napkins of adequate quantity conforming to Indian standards, replenished daily, with lidded disposable bins; and dedicated telephone numbers displayed at the establishment and inside the vehicles.
Under rule 77, women may be employed in hazardous and dangerous operations with their consent; women who are feeding mothers or pregnant are exempted; women are trained on the hazardous properties of substances handled; and necessary personal protective appliances are provided.
A worked example
A garment exporter in Noida wants a night shift of finishing staff. Before starting, the HR head lists the arrangements (transport, supper, CCTV on the way to toilets, helpline numbers), staffs the night shift with not fewer than four women, takes each woman's written consent, gives the Inspector-cum-Facilitator the plan with at least seven days for verification, and puts the monthly report date in the compliance calendar. For overtime, supervisors hand each worker a duplicate overtime slip, and payroll tracks the one hundred and fifteen hour quarterly cap.
Common lapses
- Exceeding ten and a half hours' spread-over without a State notification.
- Overtime beyond five days at a stretch, or without written consent and the duplicate slip.
- Paying overtime at the ordinary rate instead of twice the ordinary rate.
- Starting night work for women before the seven-day verification period has been given to the Inspector-cum-Facilitator.
Need help with hours, overtime and night shifts?
If your rosters, overtime registers or night shifts for women in Uttar Pradesh have not been checked against rules 49 to 54 and 76, our payroll compliance audit can test them and suggest corrections. The overtime cap and the notices are easy to miss in a busy season.
Key takeaways
- 48 hours a week; ten and a half hour spread-over; five hours before a half-hour interval.
- Rest day notice outside the office; substituted rest days; never more than ten days without a whole-day holiday.
- Overtime at twice the ordinary rate; ten hours a day in total; one hundred and fifteen hours in a quarter.
- Notice of period of work in Form-13.
- Women's night work needs written consent and the conditions of rule 76.
Read next
- Uttar Pradesh OSH Rules, 2026: employer duties, accident notices, safety committee and safety officers
- Uttar Pradesh OSH Rules, 2026: registers, records, returns and Inspector-cum-Facilitator
- Uttar Pradesh Code on Wages Rules, 2026: working hours, weekly rest, night shift and overtime
- Central OSH rule 69: wages for overtime
Disclaimer: Based on the State or Union territory rules named above, as notified under the Labour Codes and consulted on 4 October 2026. Later amendments, State notifications, fees and forms should be checked in the State Gazette and on the State labour department website. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.