India’s newly notified labor code rules now allow companies to offer employees a four-day workweek.
The change comes under the country’s updated Code on Wages framework, which permits employers to spread the legal 48-hour workweek across four days instead of the traditional five- or six-day schedule.
That means employees could work close to 12 hours a day in exchange for three days off each week. Total working hours, however, would remain unchanged, according to MSN.
Four-Day Weeks Are Optional
The policy does not require companies to adopt compressed schedules. Employers can decide whether the model fits their operations, and employees must agree to the arrangement before it is implemented.
The rules also preserve overtime protections. Any work beyond the approved schedule would still qualify for overtime pay, typically calculated at double the normal wage rate.
Knowledge Industries May Move First
Sectors such as IT, consulting, and creative services are seen as the most likely early adopters because productivity in those industries is often measured by output rather than physical time on-site.
More labor-intensive industries may face greater operational challenges due to staffing, shift coverage, and production demands.
Flexible Work Continues Expanding
The move adds India to a growing list of countries experimenting with alternative work structures as companies rethink schedules after the rise of remote and hybrid work.
But unlike many global four-day workweek trials focused on reducing hours, India’s version centers on compressed scheduling rather than shorter workweeks. Employees may gain an extra day off, but not fewer total hours on the job.
