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ARTICLE · 15 APRIL 2026

L&E Newsletter - April 2026 Edition

Anhad Law
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This comprehensive update examines significant regulatory reforms and landmark judicial decisions reshaping India's employment law landscape in early 2026. From Delhi's expanded working hour thresholds and Karnataka's gig worker welfare framework to Supreme Court rulings on maternity benefits and the constitutional definition of 'industry', these developments signal a transformative period for workplace rights, gender equity, and labour relations across public and private sectors.

IndiaEmployment and HR
Anhad Law
Anhad Law
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A. Regulatory Updates

1.) Delhi introduced key amendments to its shops and establishments Act; increased threshold, enhanced working hours and prior written consent for night shifts for women

The Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, vide its notification dated March 11, 2026, has introduced the Delhi Shops and Establishments (Amendment) Act, 2026 (“Act”), amending the Delhi Shops and Establishments Act, 1954. Notably, the amendments restrict the Act's applicability exclusively to shops and establishments employing 20 (twenty) or more workers.

The reforms introduce significant operational relaxations. The definition of "child" is revised upward from twelve (12) to fourteen (14) years. Daily working hours are increased to 10 (ten), inclusive of rest intervals and lunch breaks. Weekly working limits rise to sixty (60) hours from fifty-four (54), with overtime capped quarterly at one hundred forty-four (144) hours, substituting the prior one hundred fifty (150) hour

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