The Government of Haryana on February 05, 2026, issued the Haryana Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Act, 2025, further to amend the Haryana Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1958.
The following has been stated:
• The amendment introduces a new sub-section (5) in Section 1, clarifying that most provisions will apply only to establishments employing 20 or more workers, while a new Section 13A will govern establishments with less than 20 workers.
• Under Section 7, the maximum daily working hours have been increased from nine to ten hours, and the quarterly overtime limit has been raised from 50 to 156 hours. Section 8 is amended to increase the interval of continuous work without a rest break from five to six hours.
• A wholly substituted Section 13 now mandates online registration of establishments with 20 or more workers, including provisions on submission of details, issuance of a registration certificate, intimation of changes and cancellation on closure, along with graded penalties for non-compliance.
• A new stand-alone Section 13A requires online intimation by establishments with fewer than 20 workers. In Section 19, the reference to the Indian Penal Code is updated to clause (28) of Section 2 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
• New Sections 20A and 20B are inserted obliging employers to furnish appointment letters and identity cards to employees. Amendments to Sections 21 and 26 revise penalty provisions for obstruction and other violations with specified minimum and maximum fines, replacing previous criminal sanctions for minor offences.
• The Act also repeals the earlier 2025 Ordinance.
[Notification no. - Leg.14/2026]
