Labour Codes: Centre Expects All States, UTs to Notify Rules by Oct 31

The Centre expects all states and Union Territories (UTs) to publish their rules under the four labour codes by October 31, 2026, Labour Secretary Chandra Bhushan Kumar said.

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Ten states have already published their final rules, while other states and UTs have issued draft rules for stakeholder consultation.

State Rules Key to Labour Code Implementation

The four labour codes — the Code on Wages, 2019; Industrial Relations Code, 2020; Code on Social Security, 2020; and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH) Code, 2020 — replace 29 existing central labour laws.

The codes came into force in November 2025, while the Centre notified the rules under the four codes in May 2026.

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However, several provisions require state-level rules because labour is on the Concurrent List. Completing the rules at the state and UT level is therefore necessary for the new framework to be applied across different jurisdictions.

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Speaking at a seminar on the labour codes organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Grant Thornton Bharat, Kumar said the Centre was hopeful of having the rules in place by October 31.

The government has been working with states and UTs to complete the rule-making process. The final rules will provide greater clarity on the requirements that employers need to follow in their respective jurisdictions.

What HR and Employers Need to Track

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The completion of state rules will be important for employers, particularly companies operating across multiple states. HR, payroll and compliance teams will need to review the final state-specific requirements once they are notified.

Key areas to monitor include:

• Wage and payment-related requirements under the Code on Wages.
• Working conditions, occupational safety, working hours and leave provisions.
• Industrial relations and employment-related compliance.
• Social security provisions, including those covering gig and platform workers.

Several implementation questions also remain under discussion, including wage-payment timelines in certain separation cases and the classification of managerial, administrative and supervisory employees.

The Labour Ministry is also expected to issue a set of master FAQs to address questions raised by employers and other stakeholders.

For employers, October 31 is an important date to track as states and UTs move towards completing their rules.

Companies will need to assess the final notifications applicable to each state before making changes to their HR policies, payroll processes and labour-law compliance practices.