New Labor Laws for Adolescent Workers, ETLegalWorld
The Rajasthan government on Tuesday approved the Rajasthan Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, and the Rajasthan Factory (Amendment) Rules, 2025. The amendments aim to update labour regulations in line with the Government of India’s Compliance Reduction and Deregulation Docket.
According to the official press release, under the new provisions of the Shops and Commercial Establishments Ordinance, the minimum age for employment in shops and commercial institutions has been raised. Children below 14 years will not be permitted to work in such establishments.
The minimum age for apprentices has also been revised from 12 years to 14 years. Additionally, adolescents aged between 14 and 18 years will not be allowed to work during night hours. Earlier, the restriction applied to those aged 12 to 15 years. The change is intended to support better access to health, nutrition, and education for children.
The Ordinance also modifies working hour limits. The maximum daily work duration has been increased from 9 to 10 hours, and the overtime limit has been raised to 144 hours per quarter.
The government expects these changes to bring the law in line with current economic and operational requirements. Previously, under the Rajasthan Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1958, adolescents aged 12 to 15 could work for a maximum of 3 hours per day. The amended ordinance revises this provision to apply to adolescents aged 14 to 18 years.
The Rajasthan Factory (Amendment) Rules, 2025 include provisions allowing the employment of women in certain categories of factories. These rules also introduce new measures for the safety and privacy of women workers. Apart from pregnant and nursing women, other female workers may now be employed in specific work environments, provided that employers ensure adequate safety measures.
Employers will be required to provide personal protective equipment such as respiratory safety devices, face shields, heat shields, masks, and gloves. They must also ensure proper air quality at workplaces and provide safety training to all workers.
The amendments are part of the state’s effort to simplify regulatory compliance while maintaining worker safety standards. They also remove certain restrictions on women’s participation in hazardous work categories, aligning state labour policies with updated national guidelines for workplace inclusion and safety.
