What is Working Hours Policy?
A ready-to-use Working Hours Policy covering standard hours, office timing, and employee responsibilities, plus free downloadable PDF and Word templates.
Download Working Hours Policy Template
Table of Contents
What is a Working Hours Policy?
Under the Factories Act, 1948, an adult (someone who's turned 18) can't be made to work more than 48 hours a week or 9 hours a day. Under Section 51 of the Act, the total spread of the workday, including breaks, can't exceed 10.5 hours.
Working time is simply the time someone spends on paid work, and most countries regulate it by law, setting minimum daily rest periods, annual holidays, and a weekly cap on hours. How much someone actually works can vary a lot depending on their circumstances, from the local economy to lifestyle and the nature of their livelihood. Giving employees a defined working schedule helps make sure no one ends up over or underworked.
A Working Hours Policy sets out the minimum and maximum hours employees work, along with the provisions for late arrivals and early departures. Standard working hours refer to the legal cap on how many hours someone can work in a week, month, or year, and employers are required to pay a higher rate for any hours worked beyond that.
A few things this policy covers:
- The Factories Act, 1948, caps working hours at 48 hours a week in India.
- The International Labour Organization also sets a 48-hour weekly limit.
- Employees are expected to follow the working schedule they're given.
- The organization's working hours by day of the week.
- The responsibilities employees have under this policy.
Standard Working Hours Policy Format
Here's a sample Working Hours Policy you can adapt for your own organization:
[Company Name] believes in giving employees healthy working hours. We comply with the legal provisions of 48 hours a week and 8 hours a day. It's a two-way effort, so employees are expected to reach the workplace on time. This policy covers employees' responsibilities and their reporting times.
Purpose
This policy sets guidelines for the hours of work and attendance of all employees. As a general condition of employment, employees must follow the work schedule set by the organization, and it establishes the basic duty hours for each employee.
Scope
This policy applies to all employees of the company.
Standard Work Hours
International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions set 48 hours a week as the standard working time, with anything beyond that considered excess. The Factories Act, 1948 of India also caps work hours at 48 hours a week, and the employer must pay overtime wages if this is exceeded.
Office Timing
The office hours are:
Head Office
| Days of the Week | Working Hours |
|---|---|
| [Days of the week] | [Punch In Time] to [Punch Out Time] |
| [Days of the week] | [Punch In Time] to [Punch Out Time] |
Branch/Site/Plant Office
| Days of the Week | Working Hours |
|---|---|
| [Days of the week] | [Punch In Time] to [Punch Out Time] |
| [Days of the week] | [Punch In Time] to [Punch Out Time] |
Employees get a weekly off every [Day of the week].
Responsibilities of Employees
Employees must report to work at [Time] sharp, and must not be more than [Number of minutes] minutes late from the reporting time.
With the approval of the [Job Title], employees may leave early or arrive late in exceptional cases.
If an employee is late more than [Number of times] times, they'll be notified. If the behavior continues, any day the employee arrives late will be treated as unpaid leave.