India likely to implement 4-day work week

India is likely to implement four new labour codes on wages, social security, industrial relations, and occupational safety by the next fiscal year beginning 2022, according to a senior government official cited by the PTI news agency.

The new codes will affect matters related to employment and work culture, including the take-home pay of employees, working hours, and the number of work days in a week.

If the new labour codes are implemented, it is likely workers in India may be able to enjoy a four-day work week from next fiscal year, as opposed to the current five-day work week.

However, they will have to work 12 hours on those four working days as the labour ministry has made it clear that even if the proposal kicks in, the 48-hour weekly work requirement must still be met.

The labour codes are also significant since once they are implemented, there would be a reduction in the take-home pay of employees, and companies will have to bear a higher provident fund liability.

READ: India plans to plug gaps in employment data by 2022

Under these new codes, the contribution of employees to their provident fund accounts every month will rise, but their monthly take-home salaries would decrease, in turn, according to Hindustan News.