New Labour Codes

The Centre's final rules under the four Labour Codes allow flexible distribution of 48 weekly work hours, opening scope for four-day workweeks in some industries

Final Central Rules under the four labour codes shift India's labour reforms from policy to implementation, putting immediate compliance focus on employers

The Centre has notified final rules under the Industrial Relations Code and Code on Wages, along with Model Standing Orders for key sectors

Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said workers in West Bengal will gain access to expanded ESIC social security benefits once the Labour Codes are implemented

From election upsets and disaster alerts to labour reform, media economics, and trauma narratives, today's Best of BS Opinion brings together sharp insights on policy, politics, and society

Overlaps between Labour Codes and state laws on working hours, leave and overtime may create compliance uncertainty, especially for firms operating across multiple states

Industry body flags confusion over PF, bonus and overtime inclusion in wage rules, seeks simpler compliance norms and clarity for smoother labour code implementation

The EPFO and ESI have resisted radical reinvention since 1991, illustrating how self-interested bureaucracies preserve their own interests by creating improbable scenarios of chaos

Workers allege irregular wage payments and exploitative practices

Labour ministry has declined industry demand for grandfathering in gratuity rules, citing lack of provision in the original labour codes passed by Parliament

Parliament panel urges a Centre-State board to fast-track labour codes and calls for stronger social security for gig workers and streamlined skilling schemes

Nearly 75 per cent of companies expect a rise in structured fixed-term employment as companies respond to the implementation of new labour codes, signalling a shift towards greater workforce formalisation, according to a report. The shift toward workforce formalisation is becoming increasingly evident, as an overwhelming 75 per cent of respondents anticipate greater adoption of structured fixed-term employment as a strategic response to the new labour codes, HR solutions provider Genius HRTech said in the report. This signals a decisive movement toward more formal, compliant, and documented employment arrangements, it added. In November 2025, the government consolidated and implemented 29 Central labour laws into four comprehensive codes - Wages, Industrial Relations, Social Security, and Occupational Safety, to simplify compliance, modernise regulations, and enhance worker welfare. The report by Genius HRTech is based on inputs from 1,459 companies during January 2026 across secto

Group life insurance premiums grew faster than individual policies in FY26 as revised labour codes, including higher basic pay norms & expanded gratuity provisions, boosted corporate-linked insurance

The second of the two-part series looks at working hours, employer responsibilities and compliance

The first of a two-part series on labour Codes looks at wage definition, compliance challenges, and the road ahead

Labour Ministry releases a handbook outlining 23 compliance actions for employers under the four Labour Codes, offering clarity ahead of final rules expected by the end of the fiscal year

IT, banking, aviation take biggest hit in Q3; 73 of 96 firms already counting the cost

Labour Secretary Vandana Gurnani urged states and UTs to nominate officials, accelerate rule finalisation and support training to ensure smooth rollout of the four Labour Codes from FY27

Top developers report steady Q3 FY26 earnings; Labour Codes add limited compliance costs, with margins largely cushioned by strong pre-sales and project mix

Companies are expected to continue salary hikes despite higher costs from new labour codes, but sectors like IT may see slightly lower increments due to margin pressure