Question

Mr. X owns a bakery where he employs Y, a 16-year-old adolescent. At first, X gives Y every Sunday off as his weekly holiday. After two months, X decides to change the weekly holiday to Wednesday and pastes a notice about this change in the bakery wall. According to the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, this change is:

• A. valid, since employers can change the holidays anytime by giving notice
• B. invalid, since weekly holidays cannot be altered before completion of at least three months
• C. valid, since the adolescent is given a full day of rest every week
• D. invalid, only if the notice is not displayed in the establishment

Hint:

Weekly holidays for adolescent workers must remain unchanged for at least three months. Any change before that is prohibited—even if a notice is displayed.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the rule under the Act.
Section 7 and the Schedule of the Child and Adolescent Labour Act provide that an adolescent must receive one full day of weekly rest. This weekly holiday cannot be changed frequently.
Step 2: The three-month restriction.
The law specifically states that once the weekly holiday is fixed, it cannot be altered unless three months have elapsed. This ensures stability and protects adolescents from exploitative scheduling.
Step 3: Application to the question.
Since only two months have passed in the bakery scenario, X cannot shift the weekly holiday yet. Hence, the change is legally invalid.