Women workers shall not be bound to work before 6 AM and after 7 PM - UP Government Notification

The Uttar Pradesh government, in a recent notification, laid down that no woman worker shall be bound to work before 6 am and after 7 pm without her written consent and shall not be terminated if she denies working during these hours.

The notification exempted factories from the restrictions under Section 66 of the Factories Act, subject to certain conditions.

Besides restrictions on work hours, the notification provides free transportation to be provided by the employer in the event a woman works during the restricted hours. Moreover, the employer has been mandated to provide convenient facilities like washrooms, changing rooms, drinking facilities, and lighting near the workplace.

Employers are instructed to take steps to prevent sexual harassment of women working in factories, both by setting up redress mechanisms and informing them of their rights.

Moreover, the notification stipulated that permissions for factories would be automatically revoked if they violated the prescribed conditions.