She Can Work All Night: Women, night shifts and the new labour rules

Odisha has amended its Shops and Commercial Establishments law to allow women to work between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. in shops, restaurants and other commercial establishments - but only with written consent and a bundle of safety conditions.

- ‘TDG NETWORK

Representative image.

It is one of several states rewriting rules on women's night work just as India’s new labour codes take effect.

The Odisha amendment lays out, on paper, what a “safe” night shift should look like. Employers must provide secure transport for women working late, maintain CCTV surveillance, ensure well-lit premises and access routes, and comply fully with the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, including Internal Complaints Committees. There are caps on working hours - typically no more than 10 hours a day and 48 hours a week, with paid overtime - and requirements that a minimum number of women be on duty so no one is left alone on a deserted floor.