UP government allows women to work night shifts with safety measures, double pay, and access to 29 hazardous jobs, boosting workplace equality

Lucknow: The Yogi Adityanath-led UP Government has issued a Gazette order allowing women to work night shifts between 7:00 pm and 6:00 am, marking a significant reform aimed at increasing women’s involvement in the workforce. The decision, which has been praised as a positive step toward gender equality, permits women to work after hours as long as they formally approve.

Fundamentally, safety and fair compensation

A strong foundation for ensuring the welfare and safety of female employees is laid forth in the government decree. Ample workplace safety precautions, such as CCTV surveillance, female security guards, and special transportation for women working night hours, must be provided by employers. Women will now also be paid twice as much for labor performed during these hours.

Increased working rights and a cap on overtime

The decree extends the prior limitations on shifts and workload, allowing female employees to work up to six days a week. Significantly, the amount of overtime that can be worked per quarter has been increased from 75 to 144 hours, with double the regular compensation rate. The goal of this change is to increase women’s pay and flexibility in the corporate and industrial sectors.
Adding dangerous industries

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In a significant change from earlier prohibitions, the Yogi government’s decision now permits women to work in 29 categories of hazardous occupations, breaking previous limitations. The administration’s ongoing attempts to integrate women into a variety of professional professions across industries that were previously seen to be unsafe or inappropriate are seen as including this inclusion.

broader movement to empower women

The ruling supports a broader national movement to increase women’s work rights. Similar measures were recently seen in Delhi, where Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said that prohibitions on women working night shifts in stores and other commercial establishments will be lifted. Formalized under the Shops and Establishments Act of 1954, the Delhi announcement was hailed as a long-overdue change in the fight for workplace equality.

Execution and supervision

According to officials, the new regulations would be enforced in Uttar Pradesh under close supervision. Under applicable labor regulations, employers who are found to be in violation of safety or wage provisions may be subject to legal action. According to the government, these steps are necessary to guarantee that women can work with confidence in every field, regardless of the time or setting.