Tamil Nadu extends 365-day opening for shops and establishments with employee safeguards

On 24 August 2026, the Government of Tamil Nadu issued a notification permitting all shops and establishments in the State to remain open on all 365 days of the year for a further period of three years.

Key Takeaways:

1. All shops and establishments in Tamil Nadu have been permitted to remain open on all 365 days of the year for a further period of three years.

2. The notification has been issued under Section 6 of the Tamil Nadu Shops and Establishments Act, 1947.

3. The exemption has been granted from the provisions of Section 11(1) of the Tamil Nadu Shops and Establishments Act, 1947.

4. Every employee must be given one weekly holiday on a rotation basis.

5. Employee details and weekly holiday schedules must be displayed in the prescribed format at the establishment.

6. Wages, including overtime wages, must be credited directly to employees’ bank accounts.

7. Employees cannot be required or allowed to work for more than:

   • 8 hours a day or 48 hours a week; and

   • 10.5 hours a day or 57 hours a week, including overtime.

8. Employers may face penal action if employees are made to work on holidays or beyond normal working hours without proper overtime authorization.

9. The notification prescribes the following safeguards for women employees:

   • Women employees cannot ordinarily be required to work beyond 8:00 PM.

   • Women may work between 8:00 PM and 6:00 AM only with written consent and adequate safeguards for dignity, safety and security.

   • Employers must provide transport facilities to women employees working in shifts.

10. Establishments availing the exemption must comply with the following workplace welfare and statutory requirements:

    • Employers must provide restrooms, washrooms, safety lockers and other basic amenities.

    • Every establishment employing women must constitute an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013.

    • Violation of statutory provisions or notification conditions may attract penal action under the Act and Rules.

11. The prescribed conditions are in addition to the requirements under the Tamil Nadu Shops and Establishments Act, 1947 and the Tamil Nadu Shops and Establishments Rules, 1948.

Also read: Key updates on Shops and Establishments regulations across various States.

[Tamil Nadu Labour Welfare and Skill Development Department Notification, dated 24-08-2026]