Bihar Shops and Establishment (Employment Regulation and Conditions of Service) Act, 2025

Applicability

Applies to all shops, commercial establishments, residential hotels, restaurants, eating houses, theatres, and places of public amusement/entertainment in Bihar. Covers both organized and unorganized establishments, subject to prescribed thresholds.

Key Provisions a. Registration Every employer must register their establishment within a stipulated time through an online portal. Renewal and cancellation procedures have been digitized .

b. Working Hours & Employment Conditions Defines daily and weekly working hours, overtime limits, and intervals for rest. Provides for weekly holidays and rules on compensatory holidays. Regulates employment of young persons and women including working conditions, safety, and night shift restrictions .

c. Leave & Welfare Prescribes earned leave, casual leave, and sick leave entitlements. Mandates welfare provisions like seating, lighting, ventilation, first-aid, and crèche facilities in larger establishments .

d. Wages & Payments Wages and benefits to be paid as per Code on Wages, 2019. Digital wage payments encouraged. Employers to maintain electronic registers and records.

e. Women Employees Specific provisions safeguarding women’s employment, particularly for night shifts with mandatory safety measures (transport, lighting, CCTV, etc.).

Inspection & Enforcement Introduction of an Inspector-cum-Facilitator system to encourage compliance rather than penal action. Powers to conduct web-based inspections and random checks. Penalties prescribed for non-compliance, with graded punishment for repeated violations.

The 2025 Act modernizes labour regulation for shops and establishments in Bihar, aligning it with central labour codes, digitizing compliance (registrations, wage payments, records), strengthening employee welfare and women’s safety, and replacing the decades-old 1953 law.