The Haryana State Government has issued guidelines for employing women during night shifts in IT, ITEs, banking, three-star or above hotels, logistics, and warehousing enterprises. Under the Punjab Shop and Commercial Establishment Act, 1958, the government has established the following standards to be followed while engaging female workers on the night shift.
The employer must keep a complaint redressing process in the shop/establishment, and this mechanism must ensure that concerns are dealt with in a timely manner. At the very least, such a mechanism should be able to provide a Complaint Committee, a specific counsellor, or other support services, as needed, including confidentiality.
Each woman worker, including security guards, supervisors, shift-in-charges, and other female employees, must sign a declaration/consent to work during the night shift, from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., and a copy of the same must be forwarded to the Haryana Labour Commissioner.
If the number of female employees exceeds 50, a separate canteen facility must be provided for them.
The employer must provide transportation to and from the workplace for women workers (during the night shift), as well as security guards (including female security guards), and each transit vehicle must be fitted with CCTV cameras.
Female employees, in particular, should be made aware of their rights by displaying the relevant standards.
The employer is responsible for providing adequate lighting not only inside the shop/establishment, but also outside the shop/establishment and in all areas where female employees may be required to move during the shift.