Hiring your first employees in India is exciting. You get access to skilled talent, cost efficiency, and the ability to scale quickly, which can be some powerful advantages. But amid all this, one of the first questions global employers ask us at Insource India is surprisingly basic:
“What are the average working hours in India, and how do we stay compliant?”
The answer to this is not as straightforward as many expect. Working hours in India are governed by a mix of central and state labour laws, and they actually differ based on industry, location, and employee category.
So, if your company is headquartered in the US, UK, or Europe, you cannot just trust your assumptions, but need to know the real facts.
In this guide, you will learn all you need to know about the working hours as per the labour law in India, overtime rules, penalties, and how international employers can structure teams legally, for the long term. So without any further ado, let’s get right into it!
Fast Facts: Working Hours in India
First, let’s go over some facts that you should be aware of before you dive into culture and expectations. There is a legal framework that every company needs to adhere to when running a business or employing professionals in and from India!
Indian labour laws clearly define standard working hours in India. While the way these rules are implemented can vary by state and industry, they set a baseline that all employers are expected to follow. So this is what it looks like in practice:
- 8 hours of working time in India is considered the standard workday
- The weekly cap is 48 hours
- Any overtime must be properly compensated
- Rest breaks and weekly days off are mandatory
These working hours, as per the labour law in India, apply across most sectors, including the majority of private companies.
Also Read: Work Culture in India: Expectations, Practices & Workplace Norms
What Are the Legal Working Hours in India?
Under Indian labour regulations, legal working hours in India are defined through central laws like the Factories Act, 1948, and state-specific Shops and Establishments Acts.
This means that while the wording and applicability vary by state and industry, the core structure is consistent across the country.
In simple terms:
- 8 hours of working time in India is considered a standard workday
- 48 hours per week is the general weekly limit
- Anything beyond this enters overtime territory
These rules literally form the backbone of labour law in India, working hours, and they apply to most private-sector employees.
This includes those in technology, SaaS, consulting, and support roles. Now, this framework that we talked about is what defines the standard working hours in India.
So whether your team works from an office, a coworking office, remotely, or at home, these remain constant.
Now, yes, many companies can confuse flexibility with informality, but that should not be the case. Flexibility is allowed, but ignoring working hours as per the labour law in India is not.
| Rule | What it means for employers |
|---|---|
| Trigger | Beyond standard working hours |
| Pay rate | 2× regular wages |
| Records | Mandatory |
| Weekly caps | State-dependent |
Overtime Rules in India Employers Must Follow
Most international employers actually slip up unintentionally when it comes to overtime rules in India.
The thing is, if an employee works beyond legal working hours in India, overtime rules automatically apply.
So even if someone from your offshore team volunteered, or even if it is “just during the peak weeks or month ends,” and even if the company culture encourages it, the rules still apply!
Overtime applies when an employee works more than 8 hours working time in India in a single day or crosses 48 hours in a week. In such cases, you will have to and need to:
- Paid at twice the normal wage rate
- Properly document and maintain payroll records
And just to clear again, this is not something optional, but actually a core part of working hours as per the labour law in India.
Also Read: Working With Indian Professionals: Expectations vs Reality
What Happens If Employers Violate Working Hour Laws in India?
Here is what happens:
- Fines and Penalties are real people! Labour authorities can actually impose monetary penalties for exceeding legal working hours in India, or if you fail to pay overtime!
- Non-compliance can trigger inspections, compliance notices, or repeated follow-ups from labour departments.
- Long hours without overtime or proper breaks often lead to grievances, resignations, or formal complaints.
- Violations commonly surface during payroll audits, funding rounds, M&A, or entity setup in India.
- Regularly crossing maximum working hours as per the labour law in India leads to fatigue, disengagement, and loss of key talent.
- Word travels fast in the Indian talent market. Poor compliance affects employer branding and hiring.
- Repeated violations increase the chances of closer monitoring by authorities.
- Fixing compliance retroactively is always more expensive and time-consuming than doing it right from the start!
Working Hours in India for Private Companies
A very common myth that goes around is, “We’re a private tech company, so these rules don’t really apply to us, right?”
Well, they do! Working hours in India for private companies, as per law, are governed mainly by state Shops and Establishments Acts. Basically, this means that startups, SaaS companies, and service firms are very much within the regulatory framework.
So while average working hours in India may be higher in practice, that doesn’t remove legal obligations for employers.
What Are The US & UK Working Hours in India?
Yes! One can work as per the US working hours in India, and it is absolutely legal to do so. But blind replication is where things get messy, and that’s when you need alignment.
US working hours in India
- Night shifts are permitted.
- Additional compliance obligations apply.
- Over time, safety and rest requirements become critical.
UK working hours in India
- Partial overlap is usually easier.
- Late evenings still count toward daily and weekly limits.
- Repeated long days can trigger overtime issues.
| Scenario | Is it allowed? | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| US night shifts | Yes | Overtime + safety |
| UK late evenings | Yes | Weekly caps |
| 10+ hour days | Can be risky | Compliance and legal issues |
This is exactly why understanding what is the working hours in India becomes especially important when your business operates across continents!
Here are the key takeaways from the article:
- Your employees from the offshore team in India can finish upto 8 hours of working time in India or 48 hours a week. Anything more will fall under overtime.
- If anyone is working overtime for whatever reason, even if occasionally or for urgency, they will be paid twice as much as their daily wage.
- Average working hours in India for private companies are governed by state labour laws.
- Even if the average working hours in India are higher in practice, employers are still legally bound by standard working hour limits.
- Partners like Insource India can help global employers to manage compliance, payroll, and HR operations without having to set up the whole thing.
Conclusion
Now that we are coming to the end of the guide, one thing is clear: understanding working hours in India is not about micromanaging time. Instead, it’s about building teams that are healthy, compliant, and scalable.
So for international companies, it is important to know that respecting legal working hours in India, structuring the whole overtime solution correctly, and aligning global schedules thoughtfully, is the way to create trust.
This way, the employees, regulators, and future partners can know your culture and ethics, and hence, help you grow.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the HR policy for working hours?
When we talk about a clear HR policy, it means standard working hours in India should be followed, while being aware of overtime rules, breaks, weekly offs, and state-specific compliance.
2. What are the rules of overtime?
Overtime applies beyond 8 hours working time in India or 48 weekly hours and must be paid at double the regular wage.
3. Is working 10 hours a day legal in India?
It can be allowed to work 10 hours a day occasionally in India, but it must be paid at double the regular wage. Again, it should not be the norm, but only for exceptional days.
4. Can Indian employees work US hours legally?
Absolutely yes! If the shifts are structured properly and the labour law in India regarding working hours is followed, Indian employees can work for US hours legally.
5. What are the working hours in India for private companies?
Private companies must follow working hours in India for private companies as per law, governed by state labour regulations.
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