Central Government Notifies Mandatory Rest Interval After 5 Hours of Continuous Work under OSH Code, 2020

The Ministry of Labour and Employment has issued Gazette Notification S.O. 2517(E) dated 13 May 2026, published on 14 May 2026, under Section 25(1)(b) of the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020.

As per the notification, the Central Government has notified that workers shall not be required to work continuously for more than five hours without being provided an interval of at least half an hour.

This provision is effective from the date of publication of the notification.

Employer Action Point:
Employers should review shift timings, attendance systems, work schedules, and break policies to ensure that employees are provided a minimum 30-minute rest interval after not more than 5 hours of continuous work.