Overview
- The codes on Wages, Industrial Relations, Social Security, and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions took effect on November 21, 2025, after years of delay.
- Workers gain statutory minimum and timely wages, mandatory appointment letters, pan‑India ESIC/EPFO coverage, gratuity for fixed‑term staff after one year, free annual health check‑ups for those over 40, double‑rate overtime, and expanded opportunities for women with required safeguards.
- Gig and platform workers are brought into social security, with aggregators contributing 1–2% of annual turnover capped relative to payouts, supported by Aadhaar‑linked portable accounts.
- Compliance is simplified through single registration, licence and return, an inspector‑cum‑facilitator approach, faster two‑member industrial tribunals, and a national floor wage.
- During the transition, existing labour provisions continue until new rules and schemes are notified in the coming weeks; most states have issued draft rules, the layoff‑approval threshold rises to 300 workers with longer shifts allowed, and trade unions have called a November 26 nationwide protest.