India's Labour Codes: guides for employees and employers
India's four Labour Codes took effect on 21 November 2025. This hub collects LiveRec's plain-language guides for employees, employers and recruiters, each based on the Ministry of Labour and Employment's own texts, FAQs and handbook, with the limits of what we could verify stated plainly.
Start here
- New to this? Read the four codes explained.
- Worried about salary? Read the 50% wage rule and take-home pay.
- Leaving a job? Read full and final settlement.
- Hiring in India? Read what changes for employers.
All guides
- The four codes explained: What each code covers and which 29 laws were replaced.
- Code on Wages, 2019: Minimum wages, pay dates, deductions and bonus.
- Industrial Relations Code, 2020: Fixed-term staff, standing orders, retrenchment and strikes.
- Code on Social Security, 2020: PF, ESI, gratuity, maternity and gig workers.
- OSH Code, 2020: Safety, hours, leave, contract labour and registration.
- The new wage definition (50% rule): How wages are defined for PF, gratuity and bonus.
- Effect on take-home pay: What can change in your salary and what the Codes do not decide.
- Gratuity changes: Five years, one year for fixed-term, formula and payment time.
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- Fixed-term employment: Parity, benefits and gratuity after one year.
- Working hours and overtime: 8 hours a day, 48 a week, overtime at twice the rate.
- Leave rules: Accrual, carry-forward and encashment.
- Maternity benefit: 26 weeks, eligibility and crèche.
- Full and final settlement: Two working days for wages, 30 days for gratuity.
- Appointment letters and health check-ups: Mandatory letters and free annual check-ups.
- Gig and platform workers: Definitions, schemes and aggregator contributions.
- Inter-state migrant workers: Journey allowance, ration portability and registration.
- PF and ESI coverage: Who must be covered, at which headcount.
- Minimum wage and floor wage: How the legal floor works and where to find your rate.
- What changes for employers: A compliance checklist.
- What changes for employees: What to check on your payslip and contract.
- Rules status and state variations: What is in force and how to check your state.
- Labour Codes FAQ: Short answers to common questions.
How we handle the rules
Where a rule's notification is not confirmed from a primary source, we say what the Code says and that rules may vary by state. We do not give dates we cannot source. Primary sources: the Ministry of Labour and Employment (labour.gov.in), the Gazette of India, EPFO and ESIC.
Related
Sources
- PIB, Government makes the four Labour Codes effective (21 Nov 2025), https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=2192463®=3&lang=2, checked 2026-10-31
- PIB, India's Labour Reforms: Simplification, Security, and Sustainable Growth (21 Nov 2025), https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2192524®=3&lang=2, checked 2026-10-31
- Ministry of Labour and Employment, Compliance Handbook for Employers under the Four Labour Codes (Central Government sphere), https://www.labour.gov.in/static/uploads/2026/02/83978455025732b99b0165def80ab171.pdf, checked 2026-10-31
- Ministry of Labour and Employment, Labour Codes, https://labour.gov.in/labour-codes, checked 2026-10-31
- The Gazette of India (e-Gazette), https://egazette.gov.in, checked 2026-10-31
- EPFO (official site), https://www.epfindia.gov.in, checked 2026-10-31
- ESIC (official site, linked for readers), https://www.esic.gov.in, checked 2026-10-31
This is general information, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Rules change and your situation may differ. Consult a licensed attorney or qualified adviser.