Maharashtra Shops and Establishments Act: Compliance Guide After the 2025 Changes

The Maharashtra Shops and Establishments Act, 2017 governs employment conditions across shops, offices, commercial and professional establishments in the state. It covers working hours, rest intervals, weekly holidays, leave, overtime, employment of women, workplace safety, employee records, and related obligations.

The framework has been amended several times. The most recent changes, introduced in October 2025, affect registration thresholds and working-hour limits directly. A few finer points deserve attention alongside the headline changes.

A Note on the 2025 Amendment’s Status

The October 2025 changes were promulgated through an ordinance, which by nature has a limited shelf life. An ordinance must be replaced by an Act of the state legislature within the prescribed period after the assembly reconvenes. Employers should track the legislative status of these provisions rather than assuming they are permanently settled in their current form.

What Changed

The registration threshold has moved from 10 or more workers to 20 or more workers. Establishments with less than 20 workers now fall under an intimation requirement rather than full registration.

Daily working hours have increased from 9 to 10. Continuous work permitted before a rest interval has gone from 5 hours to 6. The daily spread-over has risen from 10.5 hours to 12. The quarterly overtime ceiling has increased from 125 hours to 144. The 48-hour weekly limit has been retained.

Overtime Must Be Paid at Double the Ordinary Rate

The higher overtime ceiling does not alter the rate at which overtime is compensated. Overtime work must be paid at twice the ordinary rate of wages. This remains unchanged and applies regardless of the expanded quarterly limit. Payroll systems should be checked to confirm that the doubled rate is applied correctly to all overtime hours recorded.

Registration and Intimation

Entities employing 20 or more workers must register. Those with less than 20 workers must submit an intimation of commencement of business. Registration or intimation details should be updated whenever there is a relevant change to the establishment’s name, address, employer, nature of business, or workforce. An acknowledgement of commencement does not replace other licences or permissions required under separate laws.

The Marathi Name Board: Font Size Matters

The name board requirement goes beyond displaying the establishment’s name in Marathi in Devanagari script. Under Section 36A, the Marathi lettering must appear at the beginning of the board, and the font size of the Marathi letters must not be smaller than the font size of letters in any other language used. Establishments where liquor is served or sold cannot use the names of historical figures or forts on their name boards.

Leave and Holidays

Workers are entitled to eight days of casual leave with wages per calendar year, earned leave for eligible workers calculated on days worked, accumulation of earned leave subject to the prescribed limit, and eight paid festival holidays each year, comprising four specified holidays and four determined in accordance with the applicable requirements.

Employment of Women and Night Work

Women may work during the night period subject to prescribed conditions. The statutory night window is 9:30 pm to 7:00 am. Written consent in the prescribed form is required. Among the safeguards, the employer must provide safe and secure transportation from the workplace to the woman’s residence, and the relevant transport personnel should be subject to police verification. Other conditions relating to lighting, minimum presence of women workers on duty, and grievance mechanisms also apply under the rules. Establishments should verify the current rule position, including any draft amendments under consideration, before finalising night-shift arrangements.

Records and Registers

Employers must maintain prescribed employment, attendance, wage, overtime, and leave records, including the Muster-Roll-cum-Wages Register and the Leave Book, subject to applicable exceptions. Records may be kept electronically or manually, but a signed hard copy must be produced if demanded during inspection, and records must be kept at the establishment’s premises. Employee information should remain consistent across appointment records, identity documentation, payroll, attendance systems, and statutory registers.

Health, Safety and Welfare

Covered establishments must maintain appropriate health, safety, and welfare arrangements, including first-aid and sanitation facilities. Establishments ordinarily employing 100 or more workers must constitute a Health, Safety and Welfare Committee with equal representation from employers and workers.

Timelines and Validity

An establishment required to register must apply online within 60 days of commencing business. The facilitator is required to issue the certificate within seven working days if the application is complete. A registration certificate may be issued for up to 10 years. Renewal should be applied for online at least 30 days before expiry. A renewal submitted after expiry but within 30 days attracts a late fee equal to 50 per cent of the renewal fee.

Changes in Management

An employer must notify the facilitator of any change in the particulars provided in the registration application. Notification is submitted online in the prescribed form with the applicable fee, self-declaration, and self-certified supporting documents. This is particularly relevant where there is a change in employer, manager, or ownership.

Local Requirements Continue to Apply

No separate Shops and Establishments law applies to Mumbai, Pune, or other Tier 1 cities. The state-level framework applies uniformly. However, establishments must also comply with municipal, zoning, fire safety, licensing, and other local requirements.

Compliance Checklist

Periodic review should cover registration or intimation status, headcount and establishment records, working hours and shift schedules, overtime computation at the doubled rate, leave and holiday administration, women’s employment and night-shift safeguards including transport, statutory registers and documentation, the Marathi name board’s font-size compliance, and workplace health, safety, and welfare measures.

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice. The information is based on the cited article and supplementary sources, and is subject to change, including legislative developments affecting the 2025 ordinance. Readers are strongly advised to verify all details, including statutory provisions, thresholds, overtime rates, night-shift conditions, signboard requirements, forms, timelines, and penalties, directly with official Government of Maharashtra sources or a qualified professional before taking any action. The author and publisher assume no liability for any loss or damage arising from reliance on this information.