Registering under the Shops and Establishments Act can be  quite  challenging  for  companies since the process used to be quite tedious, with a lot of challenges, including being unsure of the paperwork they had to get through. The initial process needed applicants to travel to the office,   fill out the forms and submit copies of the necessary documents for the process, and they would be told about when the processing would take place.

The challenge was the traveling to the   office, waiting in queues which were quite often long, and if they did not have the necessary documents, the applicant would have to make a trip back home and come back on a different date to submit them.

The Government finally decided that they would revamp the system and they changed it and  added all the information and forms online to make it a lot easier to get through. People could still opt for the older method of coordinating through the office by download the forms and getting all the information that could off the platform, so they were informed when they were getting into  the meeting.

The eBusiness online platform is a benefit for all the applicants getting through the process since it creates a faster system and it provides all the information that they could need including various scheme that could benefit them when they are applying through the system.

One of the most beneficial of all the schemes and application processes is the Udyog Aadhar scheme that small and medium-sized businesses should apply for. The primary purpose of this scheme is to create a system that can enable people to get through the application process and register their businesses.

While the Government launched the Udyog Aadhar scheme in 2015, by 2018, they had more than 48 lac MSMEs that had already gone through the registration process. While the number does seem on the higher side, some reports show that more than half of the existing businesses had not registered under the scheme, and that was quite challenging and taken forward accordingly.

Businesses, which includes the vast majority of them that have a  physical  location  have  to register under the Shops and Establishments Act. These rules were put in place to make sure that the companies were treating the people that joined them properly. They make sure that the

people they are working with receive their rights to leave of absence, consistent working hours, payments on time, along with various other rights that they have.

Shop Act Registration puts into place specific minimum parameters to ensure the safety of the workers and their rights to avoid their exploitation by the employers. Some of the rules and regulations put down include:

• Hours of work
• Interval for rest and meals
• Prohibition of employment of children
• Employment of young person or women
• Opening and closing hours
• Close days and weekly holidays
• Wages for holidays
• Time and conditions of payment of wages
• Deductions from wages
• Leave policy
• Dismissal
• Cleanliness
• Lighting and ventilation
• Precautions against fire
• Accidents
• Record keeping

Employees, on the other hand, should know their rights when they are going through such a process and can accordingly make known the changes, if any, to their employers to make sure they follow the rules. Furthermore, most agencies have inspections to make sure they follow the rules, and not just a facade that they put forth at the time of registration.

Furthermore, the company that they are working with me in a better place post the registration. They can apply for other documentation and requirements needed for their smooth functioning. When it comes to documentation, there is a tonne that companies have to get through, and in most cases, they would not even know about the processes that they have to follow. Additionally, these processes change depending on the way that the company is growing and business, progressing, which sometimes includes the submission of additional varied paperwork.

Companies can hire people to assist them with getting through the process, or they can work on getting through the process themselves. If they are interested in following the latter route, they could refer to the business portal and gather all the information that they are looking for.