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(1) The employer shall pay or cause to be paid wages to the employees, engaged on, (i) daily basis, at the end of the shift; (ii) weekly basis, on the last working day of the week, that is to say, before the weekly holiday; (iii) fortnightly basis, before the end of the second day after the end of the fortnight; (iv) monthly basis, before the expiry of the seventh day of the succeeding month.

(y) "wages" means all remuneration, whether by way of salaries, allowances or otherwise, expressed in terms of money or capable of being so expressed which would, if the terms of employment, express or implied, were fulfilled, be payable to a person employed in respect of his employment or of work done in such employment, and includes,, (i) basic pay; (ii) dearness allowance; and (iii) retaining allowance, if any, but does not include,, (a) any bonus payable under any law for the time being in force, which does not form part of the remuneration payable under the terms of employment; (b) the value of any house-accommodation, or of the supply of light, water, medical attendance or other amenity or of any service excluded from the computation of wages by a general or special order of the appropriate Government; (c) any contribution paid by the employer to any pension or provident fund, and the interest which may have accrued thereon; (d) any conveyance allowance or the value of any travelling concession; (e) any sum paid to the employed person to defray special expenses entailed on him by the nature of his employment; (f) house rent allowance; (g) remuneration payable under any award or settlement between the parties or order of a court or Tribunal; (h) any overtime allowance; (i) any commission payable to the employee; (j) any gratuity payable on the termination of employment; (k) any retrenchment compensation or other retirement benefit payable to the employee or any ex gratia payment made to him on the termination of employment: Provided that, for calculating the wages under this clause, if payments made by the employer to the employee under clauses (a), (d), (f), (g), (h) and (i) exceeds one-half, or such other per cent. as may be notified by the Central Government, of the all remuneration calculated under this clause, the amount which exceeds such one-half, or the per cent. so notified, shall be deemed as remuneration and shall be accordingly added in wages under this clause: Provided further that for the purpose of equal wages to all genders and for the purpose of payment of wages, the emoluments specified in clauses (d), (f), (g) and (h) shall be taken for computation of wage. Explanation., Where an employee is given in lieu of the whole or part of the wages payable to him, any remuneration in kind by his employer, the value of such remuneration in kind which does not exceed fifteen per cent. of the total wages payable to him, shall be deemed to form part of the wages of such employee.

Every employer shall pay all amounts required to be paid under this Code to every employee employed by him: Provided that where such employer fails to make such payment in accordance with this Code, then, the company or firm or association or any other person who is the proprietor of the establishment, in which the employee is employed, shall be responsible for such payment.

No employer shall pay to any employee wages less than the minimum rate of wages notified by the appropriate Government.

(1) Any employer who,, (a) pays to any employee less than the amount due to such employee under the provisions of this Code shall be punishable with fine which may extend to fifty thousand rupees; (b) having been convicted of an offence under clause (a) is again found guilty of similar offence under this clause, within five years from the date of the commission of the first or subsequent offence, he shall, on the second and the subsequent commission of the offence, be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months or with fine which may extend to one lakh rupees, or with both; (c) contravenes any other provision of this Code or any rule made or order made or issued thereunder shall be punishable with fine which may extend to twenty thousand rupees; (d) having been convicted of an offence under clause (c) is again found guilty of similar offence under this clause, within five years from the date of the commission of the first or subsequent offence, he shall, on the second and the subsequent commission of the offence, be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month or with fine which may extend to forty thousand rupees, or with both.

(1) If the person committing an offence under this Code is a company, every person who at the time the offence was committed was in charge of, and was responsible to, the company for the conduct of business of the company, as well as the company, shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly: Provided that nothing contained in this sub-section shall render any such person liable to any punishment provided in this Code, if he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge or that he had exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of such offence.

(1) The Central Government shall fix floor wage taking into account minimum living standards of a worker in such manner as may be prescribed: Provided that different floor wage may be fixed for different geographical areas. (2) The minimum rates of wages fixed by the appropriate Government under section 6 shall not be less than the floor wage and if the minimum rates of wages fixed by the appropriate Government earlier is more than the floor wage, then, the appropriate Government shall not reduce such minimum rates of wages fixed by it earlier.

This Code may be called the Industrial Relations Code, 2020. It extends to the whole of India. (Act No. 35 of 2020, assented 28 September 2020. Full enforcement effective 21 November 2025 by S.O. 5319(E). Repeal effected under Section 104 of the Code.)

(3) Where only one Trade Union of workers registered under this Code is functioning in an industrial establishment, then, the employer of such industrial establishment shall, subject to such criteria as may be prescribed, recognise such Trade Union as sole negotiating union of the workers. (4) If there is more than one Trade Union of workers functioning in an industrial establishment, then, the Trade Union having fifty-one per cent. or more workers on the muster roll of that industrial establishment, verified in such manner as may be prescribed, supporting that Trade Union shall be recognised by the employer of such industrial establishment, as the sole negotiating union of the workers. (5) Where more than one Trade Union of workers are registered in the industrial establishment and none of them individually satisfy the criterion under sub-section (4), then a negotiating council shall be constituted by the employer consisting of representatives of such registered Trade Unions which have the support of not less than twenty per cent. of the total workers on the muster roll of that industrial establishment and the number of representatives of each such Trade Union in the negotiating council shall be such as may be prescribed.

The provisions of this Chapter shall apply to every industrial establishment wherein three hundred or more than three hundred workers, are employed, or were employed on any day of the preceding twelve months. (Verified against India Code bare text and Bhatt & Joshi Associates practitioner note.)

(1) No person employed in an industrial establishment shall go on strike, in breach of contract,, (a) without giving to the employer notice of strike, as hereinafter provided, within sixty days before striking; or (b) within fourteen days of giving such notice; or (c) before the expiry of the date of strike specified in any such notice as aforesaid; or (d) during the pendency of any conciliation proceedings before a conciliation officer and seven days after the conclusion of such proceedings.

The provisions of this Chapter shall apply to an industrial establishment (not being an establishment of a seasonal character or in which work is performed only intermittently) in which not less than three hundred workers, or such higher number of workers as may be notified by the appropriate Government, were employed on an average per working day for the preceding twelve months. (Verified against India Code bare text and confirmed by Zoho, LKS Attorneys, and iPleaders practitioner analyses.)

(1) An employer who intends to close down an industrial establishment of the kind mentioned in section 77 shall, in the manner prescribed, apply for prior permission at least sixty days before the date on which the intended closure is to become effective, to the appropriate Government, stating clearly the reasons for the intended closure of the industrial establishment. (Verified against LawSikho and LKS Attorneys analyses of the bare Code.)

Annual performance-based incentives do not form part of 'wages' for computation under the Labour Codes. (Additional FAQs on Labour Codes as on 16.03.2026.)

Pending finalisation of rules, the pre-existing wage threshold of Rs 21,000 per month for ESI coverage continues to apply. (Additional FAQs on Labour Codes as on 16.03.2026.)

Gratuity, employees' state insurance (ESI) and other retirement benefits are expressly excluded from the computation of total remuneration for the purposes of the 50 per cent rule. (Additional FAQs on Labour Codes as on 16.03.2026.)

Gratuity for service rendered prior to 21 November 2025 falls under the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972. The Code governs service on or after that date. The last-drawn wage at the time of exit, calculated under the new definition, will determine the gratuity quantum for the entire period. (Additional FAQs on Labour Codes as on 16.03.2026.)

Leave provisions apply to workers, including sales promotion employees and working journalists. Supervisory employees are covered only where wages do not exceed Rs 18,000/month. Managerial staff drawing wages above that threshold are excluded. (Additional FAQs on Labour Codes as on 16.03.2026.)

Overtime allowance payments form part of the components in Sections 2(a) to 2(i). Where such allowance, in aggregate with other listed components, exceeds 50 per cent of remuneration, the excess is added back to wages. (Additional FAQs on Labour Codes as on 16.03.2026, issued by Ministry of Labour & Employment.)

The value of remuneration-in-kind up to only 15 per cent of the total wages is counted as part of wages. (Additional FAQs on Labour Codes as on 16.03.2026, issued by Ministry of Labour & Employment; corresponds to the Explanation to Section 2(y) of the Code on Wages 2019.)

Under Section 114(4), Social Security Code, the rate and manner of contribution by aggregators towards social security for gig and platform workers will be notified by the Central Government. These contributions will be credited to a dedicated social security fund. States may not independently levy a cess on aggregators for this purpose; the scheme is governed at the Central level. (Additional FAQs on Labour Codes as on 16.03.2026.)

Where a State law (such as Andhra Pradesh law permitting 60 days' carry-forward) is more favourable to the worker, the worker is entitled to that benefit. However, where there is inconsistency, the Code prevails. (Additional FAQs on Labour Codes as on 16.03.2026.)

The Central Government appointed 18 December 2020 as the date on which sections 42(1) to (3), 42(10) and (11), 67(2)(s) and (t) and 69 (in so far as they relate to the Central Advisory Board) of the Code on Wages, 2019 shall come into force. (Historical partial enforcement, superseded for practical purposes by S.O. 5322(E) of 21 November 2025.)

In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (3) of section 1 of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 (35 of 2020), sub-section (3) of section 1 of the Code on Social Security, 2020 (36 of 2020) and sub-section (3) of section 1 of the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (37 of 2020), the Central Government hereby appoints the 21st day of November, 2025, as the date on which the remaining provisions of the said Codes shall come into force. (Reproduced from the notification as reported in SCC Online, 26 November 2025.)

In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (3) of section 1 of the Code on Wages, 2019 (29 of 2019), the Central Government hereby appoints the 21st day of November, 2025, as the date on which the remaining provisions of the said Code shall come into force. (Reproduced from the notification as reported in SCC Online, 26 November 2025.)

This Code may be called the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020. It extends to the whole of India. (Act No. 37 of 2020, assented 28 September 2020. Full enforcement effective 21 November 2025 by S.O. 5319(E).)

(1) The maximum daily and weekly limit of working hours of a worker shall be such as may be notified by the appropriate Government. Provided that the maximum daily working hours of a worker shall not exceed eight hours in a day, unless the appropriate Government by notification permits work in respect of any establishment or class of establishments for a longer period. (Verified against India Code text and MoLE FAQ 16.03.2026 which confirms the 8-hour-day / 48-hour-week statutory position.)

Where a worker works in any establishment for more than the number of daily or weekly hours as fixed under section 25, he shall, in respect of such overtime work, be entitled to wages at the rate of twice his ordinary rate of wages. (Verified against India Code and MoLE FAQ 16.03.2026: "Overtime becomes payable when a worker works beyond eight hours daily or 48 hours weekly. Overtime wages are payable at twice the normal rate and must be paid at each wage period.")

In every establishment wherein fifty or more workers are ordinarily employed, there shall be provided and maintained a suitable room or rooms for the use of children under the age of six years of such workers. (Verified against India Code text and MoLE FAQ clarification 16.03.2026: "The obligation to provide a creche facility is not contingent upon any specific gender composition of the workforce.")

(4) The contribution to be paid by an aggregator under sub-section (3) shall be at such rate not exceeding two per cent., but not less than one per cent., as may be notified by the Central Government, of the annual turnover of every such aggregator who falls within a category of aggregators, as are specified in the Seventh Schedule: Provided that the contribution by an aggregator shall not exceed five per cent. of the amount paid or payable by an aggregator to gig workers and platform workers.

(1) Gratuity shall be payable to an employee on the termination of his employment after he has rendered continuous service for not less than five years,, (a) on his superannuation; or (b) on his retirement or resignation; or (c) on his death or disablement due to accident or disease; or (d) on termination of his contract period under fixed term employment; or (e) on happening of any such event as may be notified by the Central Government: Provided that in case of working journalist as defined in clause (f) of section 2 of the Working Journalists and Other Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1955, the expression "five years" occurring in this sub-section shall be deemed to be substituted by the expression "three years": Provided further that the completion of continuous service of five years shall not be necessary where the termination of the employment of any employee is due to death or disablement or expiration of fixed term employment or happening of any such event as may be notified by the Central Government.