Fresh draft on Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (Central) Rules, 2025 published by Ministry of Labour; invites comments by 28th January 2026

The Ministry of Labour and Employment has published a fresh draft of Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (Central) Rules, 2025 (“Draft Rules”) under the recently notified Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (“Code”).

Objections and suggestions, if any, may be sent to Shri Ravi Shankar Nirala, Under Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Room No. 17, Shram Shakti Bhawan, Rafi Marg, New Delhi or by email – fasli@fgfasli.nic.in and ravis.nirala@nic.in by 28^th January 2026. The objections and suggestions should be sent in a proforma containing columns specifying:

i) name and address of the person/organization and column

ii) rule or sub-rule which is proposed to be modified and column

iii) revised rule or sub-rule proposed to be substituted and reasons therefore

Important provisions introduced in the new Draft Rules:

1. Every employer of factory, dock, mine, building and other construction work is required to arrange to conduct free of cost medical examination for every employee annually within 120 days from the commencement of the calendar year for employees who have completed 40 years of age.
2. The Central Government will notify the period of work in each day with intervals and spread overs.
3. The spread over for the workers can exceed the period of work notified by the Central Government for the works and circumstances as provided in respect of work done in docks, mines and building or other construction work.
4. If a working journalist or sales promotion employee voluntarily relinquishes his post or retires from service on reaching the age of superannuation, he will be entitled to cash compensation for earned leave not availed of up to a maximum of one hundred and twenty days.
5. The employer of every establishment is required to maintain the following registers electronically in English and Hindi or in the language understood by a majority of persons employed:

1. Register of employees;
2. Register of attendance-cum-muster roll;
3. Register of wages, over time and deduction;

6. The employer of every establishment is required to preserve the original copy of all registers and other records for a period of five calendar years from the date of last entry made therein.
7. Every employer is required to issue wage slips, electronically or manually to the employees in Form VIII C as given under Code on Wages Rules, 2025 before one day of payment of wages to the employee.
8. Every employer is required to ensure that all registers and other records which are required to be maintained under the Code and Draft Rules are maintained complete and up-to-date and is kept at an office or the nearest convenient building within the precincts of the work place or at a place within a radius of three kilometers.
9. Every employer is required to upload a unified annual return in Form IX and Form IXA on or before the 28th or 29th day of February in each year online on the web portal of the Central Government in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, giving information as to the particulars specified in respect of the preceding year.
10. Display a notice showing wage period and date and time of disbursement of wages of contract labor at the place of work and as a principal employer electronically send a copy of the same to contractor under acknowledgement.
11. As a contractor send half yearly return in Form IXA not later than 30 days from the close of half year electronically.
12. Principal employer of the contractors is required to form a committee for grievance redressal for the contract laborers which will constitute of members of both principal employers and contractors.
13. Ensure that every worker who is regularly employed by the contractor for any activity and whose employment is governed by mutually accepted standards of the condition of employment, is such that the worker gets an annual increment of not less than 2% two percent of his wages.

Key provisions retained in the new Draft Rules:

1. The Code proposes the concept of single registration for establishments covered by the Code.
2. The employer is required to provide a hygienic work environment with ventilation, comfortable temperature and humidity, sufficient space, clean drinking water, and latrine and urinal accommodations.
3. The Code allows the women employees to work at night, that is, beyond 7 PM and before 6AM subject to the conditions relating to safety, holiday, working hours and their consent.
4. Employees will have the right to obtain information from the employer relating to safety and health at work.
5. During medical leave wages will be paid at half the rate of wages.
6. All contract labors are required to be made member of EPFO and ESIC subject to applicability as under respective provisions of the Code on Social Security, 2020.
7. The employer is required to pay a lump sum amount on account of fare for to & fro journey to inter-state migrant worker by train (not less than II Class Sleeper) or by bus or any other mode of passenger transport from the place of employment to the place of residence in the home state a few circumstances.
8. Every establishment employing 250 or more workers or carries on “hazardous process” defined under the Code or carries on any process or operations declared to be “dangerous operations” under the Code is required to constitute a safety committee consisting of representatives of employers and workers.
9. Where in an establishment a worker works for more than eight hours in any day or for more than forty-eight hours in any week, he shall in respect of such overtime work be entitled to wages at the rate of twice his ordinary rate of wages and shall be paid at the end of each wage period.

Source: Ministry of Labour and Employment