Continued move towards women empowerment: Madhya Pradesh revises conditions for allowing women to work night shifts

At a glance

• Madhya Pradesh issued two new notifications on 27 June 2025 revising conditions for employing women in night shifts under the Shops and Establishments Act 1958 and the Factories Act 1948.
• Shops and commercial establishments can now employ women between 9pm and 7am, provided employers meet safeguards like written consent, minimum batch size, CCTV, women security guards, and compliance with maternity and harassment laws.
• Factories can employ women between 8pm and 6am, subject to stricter conditions including safe transport, secure premises, women wardens, one-third female supervisory staff, and a mandatory 12-hour rest interval.
• These changes reflect a progressive move toward gender inclusivity, balancing expanded employment opportunities with enhanced safety and dignity measures.

In a significant move towards promoting gender inclusivity in the workplace, the State of Madhya Pradesh has issued two new notifications dated 27 June 2025, revising the conditions under which women can be employed during night shifts. These updates, issued under the Madhya Pradesh Shops and Establishments Act 1958 and the Factories Act 1948, supersede earlier notifications and reflect the state’s continued commitment to empowering women while ensuring their safety and dignity at work.

Under the revised framework for shops and commercial establishments, the 2025 Shops and Establishments Notification lifts the general prohibition on employing women between 9pm and 7am, provided employers comply with a set of enhanced safeguards. These include obtaining written consent from women employees, ensuring a minimum batch size of five women per night shift, and implementing robust safety measures such as CCTV surveillance and the presence of women security guards. Employers must also comply with the Maternity Benefit Act 1961 and the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH Act).

Similarly, the 2025 Factories Notification allows women to work in factories between 8pm and 6am, subject to even more stringent conditions. These include mandatory transportation to and from the workplace, provision of well-lit and secure premises, deployment of women wardens and supervisors in facilities offering lodging, and ensuring that at least one-third of supervisory staff during night shifts are women. A minimum 12-hour rest interval between shifts is also mandated, alongside full compliance with the POSH Act.

Together, these notifications mark a progressive step by the Madhya Pradesh government to foster equitable workforce participation. While the commercial sector sees a streamlining of prior compliance requirements, the manufacturing sector faces a more rigorous framework, reflecting the unique operational challenges of factory environments. These measures underscore the state’s dual focus on expanding opportunities for women and maintaining a safe, respectful workplace.