What does India's OSH Code, 2020 require of employers?
India's Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (OSH Code) replaces 13 central laws, including the Factories Act, 1948, the Contract Labour Act, 1970 and the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979. It sets duties on safety, health, working hours, leave, contract labour and welfare. It has applied since 21 November 2025.
At a glance
- Establishments with 10 or more employees must register electronically within 60 days.
- Employers must issue appointment letters and provide free annual health check-ups.
- Standard hours are 8 a day and 48 a week; overtime needs consent and is paid at twice the normal rate.
- Contract labour rules apply from 50 contract workers.
Registration and licences
One electronic registration replaces several, and a single licence covers contract labour, factories and beedi and cigar work where applicable. The Ministry describes this as "one registration, one licence, one return".
Core employer duties
- Issue an appointment letter to every employee.
- Provide a free annual health check-up (see appointment letters and health check-ups).
- Keep the workplace free from hazards likely to cause injury or disease.
- Provide welfare facilities, including a canteen at 100 or more workers, as prescribed.
- Notify accidents, dangerous occurrences and notified diseases to the prescribed authorities.
Working hours and leave
See working hours and overtime and leave rules.
Women at night
Women may work in all establishments and types of work. Between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. their consent and prescribed safety measures are required.
Contract labour
Provisions apply to establishments with 50 or more contract workers. A contractor with 50 or more contract workers needs a licence valid for five years. The principal employer provides welfare facilities and must pay wages if the contractor fails to.
Inter-state migrant workers
See inter-state migrant workers.
Penalties
Offences punishable by fine alone can be compounded by paying 50% of the maximum fine, and others by 75%. The Ministry says only minor offences are compoundable and serious safety breaches still attract imprisonment.
Thresholds at a glance
The handbook sets many duties by headcount. This table gathers the thresholds in one place.
| Where | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 10 or more workers | Electronic registration within 60 days; applies to establishments such as factories, mines, docks, plantations and construction |
| 10 or more inter-state migrant workers | Special provisions, including a lump-sum annual journey allowance |
| More than 50 workers | Crèche for children below six years |
| 50 or more contract workers | Contract labour provisions; contractor licence valid for 5 years |
| 100 or more workers | Canteen as prescribed |
| Construction with 250 or more workers | Safety officers as prescribed |
| Mines with 100 or more workers | Safety officers as prescribed |
| Building or construction with more than 500 workers | Ambulance room |
Employer duties in plain words
- Keep the workplace clean, ventilated and lit, with safe drinking water and separate toilets for male, female and transgender workers.
- Provide washing facilities, sitting arrangements, locker rooms, first aid and rest or shelter rooms.
- Notify the authorities of an accident that results in death, serious injury preventing work for 48 hours or more, or is of a prescribed nature. Dangerous occurrences and listed diseases are notified as prescribed.
- Provide free temporary living accommodation to building workers at or near the worksite.
- Do not employ building workers known to have conditions such as hearing impairment, defective vision or giddiness where it poses a risk in construction operations.
Common mistakes
- Waiting for state rules before registering. Check the status for your sector. The Ministry says old rules continue to apply to the extent they are in line with the Codes during the transition.
- Counting only direct employees when checking thresholds. Contract workers count for the contract labour provisions.
- Forgetting the principal employer's duties for contract workers' welfare and for unpaid wages.
- Treating a crèche as optional.
More questions people ask
Do the same rules apply to office workers?
The handbook says the Code covers establishments with 10 or more workers. Duties like appointment letters apply to all employees.
Are health check-ups free?
The handbook says employers must provide annual health check-ups free of cost.
Sources
- The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (official text), https://www.labour.gov.in/static/uploads/2025/07/36fcfa5d8e6b9145e282bf7b950d6c47.pdf, 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, FAQs on the OSH Code, 2020, https://www.labour.gov.in/static/uploads/2026/01/fb8c6466d0d6a7ed581bcb2bee34694c.pdf, 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 (accessed 31 October 2026)
- Press Information Bureau, India's Labour Reforms backgrounder (21 November 2025): https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2192524®=3&lang=2 (accessed 31 October 2026)
This is general information, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Rules change and your situation may differ. Consult a licensed attorney or qualified adviser.