India: Employee Rights/ Labour Relations

This comprehensive newsletter examines recent regulatory developments across India's labour, corporate, environmental, and industry-specific legal frameworks. From new contribution rates for pension and provident funds to groundbreaking rules on electric vehicles and medical device software, the update covers critical compliance changes affecting businesses and employers. The newsletter also details state-level labour code implementations, amendments to e-commerce FDI policy, and environmental regulations t

The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013 (“POSH Act”) came into force following the landmark Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan case, which highlighted the need for legal frameworks to address sexual harassment at the workplace.

Businesses operating in India face significant legal, financial, and operational risks when they fail to comply with employment and labour laws. Understanding how non-compliance affects corporate governance, internal controls, and risk management is essential for protecting your organization from regulatory action, disputes, and reputational damage.

The Karnataka High Court has directed strict implementation of the state's menstrual leave policy, which mandates one day of paid leave per month for women employees across various sectors. While the court has ordered the government to operationalize the policy through administrative guidelines, the matter remains legally contested with pending writ petitions challenging the validity of the menstrual leave order before the Principal Bench.

Bihar has become the first Indian state to repeal its Shops and Establishments Act through an ordinance, citing overlap with the central Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020. As other states like Maharashtra, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh take varying approaches to address similar regulatory overlaps, the question emerges whether they will follow Bihar's complete repeal or adopt more limited exemptions and clarifications.

The Ministry of Labour & Employment has issued two significant notifications under the Code on Social Security that will impact employers across India. The first notification establishes a 12% per annum simple interest rate on overdue amounts under the SS Code, while the second sets a wage ceiling of INR 15,000 per month for Employees' Provident Fund purposes under Chapter III.

In a significant ruling that reaffirms the legal boundaries of contractual employment in the public sector, the Uttarakhand High Court has dismissed a writ petition filed...

This newsletter covers categories of updates relating to labour, industry related laws, corporate, safety, environment, miscellaneous and local laws.

The Workmen’s Compensation Act, 1923, is a beneficial piece of social welfare legislation designed to provide relief to workmen and their dependants in cases of injury or death arising out of and in the course...