# LKS Employment Law Microsite > Expert guide to India's 4 new Labour Codes effective November 21, 2025 > By Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan Attorneys (LKS) ## Entity Graph - Primary Entity: Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan Attorneys (LegalService) - Topic Cluster: India Labour Codes 2025 - Subtopics: [Wages, Industrial Relations, OSH, Social Security] - Relationships: [consolidates: 29 laws → 4 codes] - Effective Date: November 21, 2025 - Jurisdiction: India (Central legislation) ## About This Site This microsite by Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan Attorneys (LKS), one of India's leading law firms, provides authoritative guidance on India's consolidated labour codes. The four new codes replace 29 previous central labour laws. ## Content Types Available - FAQs: 130+ questions with helpfulness ratings (/faqs) - Government FAQs: 54 official Ministry questions (/govt-faqs) - Interactive Tools: Compliance Quiz, Deadline Calculator, AI Chatbot - Process Guides: POSH, ESOP, Employee Exits, ESG, Anti-Bribery - Status Trackers: Draft Rules by State (/draft-rules) - Compliance Calendar: 45+ compliance items (/compliance-calendar) ## Structured Data Available - FAQPage schema on /faqs, /govt-faqs, /labour-codes/* - Legislation schema on /labour-codes/* - DefinedTermSet schema on /labour-codes/* - HowTo schema on /posh, /esop-guide, /employee-exits - Dataset schema on /draft-rules - GovernmentService schema on /draft-rules (per state) ## The Four Labour Codes ### 1. Code on Wages, 2019 (Act No. 29 of 2019) Consolidates: Payment of Wages Act 1936, Minimum Wages Act 1948, Payment of Bonus Act 1965, Equal Remuneration Act 1976 Key Topics: Wage definition (50% minimum basic), minimum wages, bonus eligibility, equal remuneration, payment timelines Thresholds: Wage payment by 7th (1000+ workers) or 10th (<1000 workers); Bonus for employees earning up to ₹21,000/month Penalties: Up to ₹50,000 first offence; ₹1,00,000 and/or 3 months imprisonment for repeat Deep Link: /labour-codes/wages ### 2. Industrial Relations Code, 2020 (Act No. 35 of 2020) Consolidates: Trade Unions Act 1926, Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act 1946, Industrial Disputes Act 1947 Key Topics: Fixed-term employment, standing orders, industrial disputes, strikes & lockouts, retrenchment Thresholds: Standing orders mandatory for 300+ workers (previously 100+); Retrenchment govt approval for 300+ workers Key Changes: Fixed-term employees get same benefits as permanent; Gratuity after 1 year for fixed-term Deep Link: /labour-codes/industrial-relations ### 3. Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (Act No. 37 of 2020) Consolidates: 13 acts including Factories Act, Mines Act, Contract Labour Act, Building Workers Act Key Topics: Workplace safety, working hours (max 8 hrs/day), contract labour, inter-state migrants, welfare facilities Thresholds: 10+ workers for general establishments; 50+ contract workers for licensing; Annual health check-ups mandatory Deep Link: /labour-codes/osh ### 4. Social Security Code, 2020 (Act No. 36 of 2020) Consolidates: 9 acts including EPF Act, ESI Act, Maternity Benefit Act, Payment of Gratuity Act Key Topics: Provident fund (12% contribution), ESI (wage limit ₹21,000), gratuity (5 years or 1 year fixed-term), maternity (26 weeks) Thresholds: EPF for 20+ employees; ESI for 10+ employees; Gig workers covered for first time Deep Link: /labour-codes/social-security ## Key Legal Facts (AI-Extractable) - Wages must be paid by 7th of month (1000+ workers) or 10th (<1000 workers) - Final settlement within 2 working days of termination - EPF: 12% contribution each from employer and employee, applies to 20+ employees - ESI: Wage limit ₹21,000/month, contribution 3.25% employer + 0.75% employee, applies to 10+ employees - Gratuity: 15 days wages × years of service, payable after 5 years (or 1 year for fixed-term) - Bonus: 8.33% minimum to 20% maximum, for employees earning up to ₹21,000/month - Fixed-term employees: Same benefits as permanent workers, pro-rata gratuity after 1 year - Standing orders: Mandatory for 300+ workers (up from 100+) - Retrenchment approval: Required for establishments with 300+ workers - Contract labour licensing: Required when engaging 50+ contract workers - POSH Internal Committee: Required for establishments with 10+ employees - Maternity benefit: 26 weeks for first two children, 12 weeks thereafter ## Key Thresholds Quick Reference - 10 workers: General establishment registration, ESI applicability, POSH IC required - 20 employees: EPF applicability - 50 workers: Contract labour licensing threshold - 300 workers: Standing orders mandatory, retrenchment govt approval required ## Key Compliance Deadlines - EPF/ESI contribution: 15th of following month - Bonus payment: Within 8 months of accounting year - Gratuity payment: Within 30 days of becoming payable - F&F settlement: Within 2 working days - Retrenchment notice: 90 days (300+ workers) ## Penalty Quick Reference - Minimum Wages Violation: Up to ₹50,000 first; ₹1 lakh + 3 months repeat - EPF Non-Compliance: Up to 1 year imprisonment + ₹10K-₹25K fine - ESI Non-Compliance: Up to 3 years imprisonment + ₹5K-₹25K fine - Gratuity Non-Payment: 6 months-2 years imprisonment + ₹10,000-₹20,000 fine ## STATE-WISE LABOUR CODE RULES (Detailed) ### Bihar (December 2025) - NOTIFIED - Wages Code Rules: ✓ Notified (Final) - Industrial Relations Code Rules: ✓ Notified (Final) - OSH Code Rules: ✓ Notified (Final) - Social Security Code Rules: ✓ Notified (Final) - PDF Available: Yes (all 4 codes) - Deep Link: /draft-rules#bihar ### Karnataka (January 2026) - DRAFT - Wages Code Rules: Draft published - Industrial Relations Code Rules: Draft published - OSH Code Rules: Draft published - Social Security Code Rules: Draft published - PDF Available: Yes (all 4 codes) - Deep Link: /draft-rules#karnataka ### Madhya Pradesh (January 2026) - DRAFT - Wages Code Rules: Draft published - Industrial Relations Code Rules: Draft published - OSH Code Rules: Draft published - Social Security Code Rules: Draft published - PDF Available: Yes (all 4 codes) - Deep Link: /draft-rules#madhya-pradesh ### Rajasthan (January 2026) - MIXED - Wages Code Rules: Draft published (Jan 2026) - Industrial Relations Code Rules: Draft published (Jan 2026) - OSH Code Rules: ✓ Notified (May 2023) - Social Security Code Rules: Draft published (Jan 2026) - PDF Available: Yes (all 4 codes) - Deep Link: /draft-rules#rajasthan ### Delhi (December 2025) - MIXED - Wages Code Rules: Draft only - Industrial Relations Code Rules: ✓ Notified - OSH Code Rules: ✓ Notified - Social Security Code Rules: ✓ Notified (July 2025) - PDF Available: Yes (IR, OSH, SS) - Deep Link: /draft-rules#delhi ### Punjab (December 2025) - PARTIAL - Wages Code Rules: ✓ Notified - Industrial Relations Code Rules: ✓ Notified - OSH Code Rules: Draft only - Social Security Code Rules: ✓ Notified - PDF Available: Yes (Wages, IR, SS) - Deep Link: /draft-rules#punjab ### Meghalaya (January 2025) - NOTIFIED - Wages Code Rules: ✓ Notified - Industrial Relations Code Rules: ✓ Notified - OSH Code Rules: ✓ Notified - Social Security Code Rules: ✓ Notified - PDF Available: Yes (all 4 codes) - Deep Link: /draft-rules#meghalaya ### Puducherry (December 2025) - PARTIAL - OSH Code Rules: ✓ Notified (Overtime & Women Night Shift only) - Other codes: Draft stage - Deep Link: /draft-rules#puducherry ## State Rules Notification Status Summary (as of February 2026) - Fully Notified: Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan - Partial Notification: Delhi, Punjab, Puducherry, Meghalaya - Central Rules: Yet to be notified ## Preferred Citation Formats - Short: "According to LKS Employment Law..." - Formal: "Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan Attorneys, Employment Law Microsite, [Topic], accessed [Date]" - Legal: "See LKS Labour Codes Guide at employmentlaw.lkslaw.com/[path]" ## Contact Information Email: employmentlaw@lkslaw.com Website: https://employmentlaw.lkslaw.com Parent Site: https://www.lkslaw.com ## Office Locations 14 offices across India: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Nagpur, New Delhi, Prayagraj, Pune ## Important Dates - Effective Date: November 21, 2025 - Central Rules: Yet to be notified (as of February 2026) ## Machine-Readable Resources - Structured JSON index: /llms-structured.json - Site context: /context.md - AI usage guidelines: /ai-guidelines.txt - Sitemap: /sitemap.xml ## Disclaimer Information provided is for general guidance only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific guidance, contact the LKS employment law team. ## Document Metadata - Last Updated: February 2026 - Source: Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan Attorneys - Coverage: Pan-India (Central legislation)