Pune: Maharashtra Government’s Decision To Increase Work Hours May Benefit Employers, But Employees Dread Its Implementation

Pune: The Maharashtra Government recently announced its decision to increase working hours from 9 hours daily to 10 hours daily. This has sparked many debates and concerns in the private sector of Maharashtra. However, the parties which have benefited from it have expressed hope and increased output. The debate continues to take place on the 'battlefields' of social media.

Maharashtra Government's Decision

On September 3, 2025, the Maharashtra Government officially announced the increase of daily working hours for employees in the private sector from 9 to 10 hours. A decision was also announced for employees working in factories, increasing their hours from 9 to 12. The government, however, said that this shall be done after consent from the employees and they shouldn’t be forced. The decision was approved in the state government's cabinet meeting. The reason given for this was that it will attract investments, improve ease of doing business, and align Maharashtra with other Indian states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and others who follow similar timings.

Due to this decision, for employees, the weekly overtime limit has been raised. Additionally, any work performed beyond fixed hours in a day must now be compensated at double the basic wage. Employers are required to obtain mandatory written consent from employees before any overtime work is assigned. For businesses, particularly smaller establishments, the amendment streamlines registration requirements. This measure is intended to ease the compliance burden for approximately 85 lakh small businesses.

Decision Sparks Reaction

The decision has sparked reactions from the private sector across the state. Employers welcome this decision, saying it will benefit them. However, the employees have raised concerns regarding it. Forum of IT Employees (FITE), based in Pune, shared their reaction on X (formerly Twitter). There they said that if the government is interfering in the private sector and giving permission to increase working hours, they should also interfere in employees’ rights implementation. Employees should have basic rights, including fair notice periods, smooth background verification processes, fair layoffs, full and final settlement processes, and more.

Work Culture and Hour Increase Fuel Employee Backlash

Pavanjit Mane, president of FITE, said, "As of now, no employee has reported to us that the working hours have increased. However, currently the overtime without compensation problem persists. They book 40 hours per week, but many times employees work for over 50/60 hours every week. The situation is actually worse for remote workers or people who work in hybrid settings. I think that employees should document how many hours they work, and then they can demand overtime pay. As it happens in American culture, if the employees document their working hours correctly, they can sue their company and gain their rightfully earned money. In India, rather than sue, they can raise it to the internal committee for grievance, and externally they can approach the labour office."

Rishi Kakade, a sales executive working in an Aundh-based firm, said, "The working hours increased by the Maharashtra Government are in the interest of the employers. However, the situation will remain unchanged for employees like me. My job involves both desk and field work, and even before this, my working hours were never fixed. While hiring, they told me I’ll have fixed hours, but they’re never fixed. If work gets delayed or postponed, we have to complete it no matter what. I have never received overtime pay for it. So what was going on under the radar? The government has now given a more official term to it, but still, work hours increased from 9 to 10 barely matter, as at times we have to work even beyond that."

Umesh Sorate, a private sector employee working in Balewadi, said, "Working ten hours a day will be exhausting. Many times, despite my 9-hour shift from 10 am to 7 pm, I have to stay late in the office to finish the work. When working from home was going on during COVID, it used to be flexible, but the hours of work remained the same. With these many hours to work every day, it will not be comfortable. If my company decides to increase hours, my shift will be from 10 am to 8 pm. Add that and the travel time it takes in Pune. I live in the Dehu Road area. I have to waste 2 hours daily for commuting. I dread this decision by the Maharashtra Government to get implemented, as it will leave me with no work-life balance."

Employers React to Work Hour Change

Abhijit Kulkarni, an IT start-up founder in Baner, said, "The companies which are really big in size will benefit from this. However, start-ups like us won’t benefit much, as our employees are sincere and committed to the company. They work based on project needs, not caring for hours. However, big companies can now hire fewer people, as they can make their employees work for longer. This might benefit start-ups like us, as we struggle to hire skilled employees."

A management-level employee from a prominent IT company based in Kharadi, on condition of anonymity for him and his company, also shared his opinion. They said, "Our company’s productivity will increase with an additional hour of work. I have noticed since COVID, the work culture has taken a hit because employees got used to work-from-home settings, where they weren’t really held accountable for their work hours. I think the government's recent decision will benefit us, and it should not affect employees much. If they complete the given assignment on time, they have nothing to worry about."

Another senior employee working in an IT firm in Hinjawadi said, "See, the working hours don’t really matter. The employee who is hard-working and committed works no matter what. The employee who is not finds excuses and ways around it. We try to make sure to pay the employees who work hard with good compensation. Everybody knows how some employees treat working from home as chilling and relaxing time. The memes on social media tell you about it. But the one who works hard will continue to do so. It’s the mentality which matters, not the working hours."

Employers Seek Dedication, Employees Demand Fair Compensation

Both the employers’ side and employees’ side, however, acknowledge that although companies are now allowed to increase the working hours, equal reciprocation from both sides should be present. The common sentiment among employers is that with this increase, employees should work dedicatedly and towards companies' interests, while employees demand that proper compensation and employee morale should be handled adequately by the employers.