Punjab Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Act, 2025

Summary of the Amendment

Applicability Based on Worker Strength

New threshold introduced:

• Establishments with 20 or more workers – Full Act applies.
• Establishments with less than 20 workers – Only the new Section 13‑A (Intimation of Business) applies.

Changes in Working Hours Provisions

• Section 7(1): Daily working hours increased from 9 hours to 10 hours.
• Section 8(2): Weekly limit revised from 10 hours to 12 hours for overtime.
• Section 7(2) proviso (a): Numerical ceiling increased from 50 to 144.

Registration Requirements Revised (Section 13 – Substituted)

Mandatory registration for establishments with 20+ workers:

Apply within 6 months of starting the business. Registration to be issued within 24 hours by the Inspector or deemed granted. Employers must display certificate and update authorities within 30 days of:

• Any change in registration details.
• Closure of business.

New Section 13‑A: Intimation for Small Establishments

Employers with <20 workers must intimate business details to authorities:

• Within 6 months from the amendment's commencement (i.e., by Feb 28, 2026), or
• Within 6 months of starting business, whichever is applicable.

Stricter Penalties Introduced

Section 21(2) – Penalty for Obstructing Inspectors:

• First offence: ₹1,000–₹10,000
• Second offence: ₹3,000–₹50,000
• Continuing offence: ₹500/day

Section 26 – General Penalties:

• First offence: ₹500–₹2,000
• Subsequent offences: ₹3,000–₹30,000
• Continuing offence: ₹500/day

Note: A second offence is counted only if it occurs within 3 months of the previous. If more than 1 year passes between similar offences, it's considered a first offence again.

Compounding of Offences (New Section 26‑A)

Government to notify rules for compounding offences. Once compounded, no prosecution shall be initiated for that offence.

Omission of the Schedule

The existing Schedule to the Act has been omitted, possibly to remove obsolete or redundant forms/entries.