Some of the thirteen Acts it consolidates
| Area | Former Act |
|---|---|
| Factories | Factories Act, 1948 |
| Contract labour | Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970 |
| Inter-state migrant workers | Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979 |
| Building and construction | Building and Other Construction Workers Act, 1996 |
| Mines and others | Mines Act, working journalists, cine workers, and more |
Working hours and overtime
| Rule | Position under the code |
|---|---|
| Daily hours | Up to 8 working hours in a day, as set in the OSH (Central) Rules 2026 |
| Weekly hours | Up to 48 hours in a week |
| Overtime | Paid at twice the ordinary rate of wages |
| Appointment letter | Mandatory for every employee |
Hours, overtime accounting and the treatment of short spells of overtime are set in the OSH (Central) Rules 2026; confirm the exact rule against the gazette.
Contract labour and licensing
Contract-labour regulation moves into the OSH Code. A contractor generally needs a licence and the principal employer a registration where the threshold is met, and the prescribed registers must be maintained. Because ZeniaHR is built for manpower and staffing firms, this is the code that governs the day-to-day contract-labour compliance those firms run.
Health, safety and welfare
The code requires annual free health check-ups for prescribed classes of worker, safety committees at larger establishments, and welfare facilities. Duties scale with establishment size and hazard.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Contract Labour Act still separate, or part of the OSH Code?
The Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act is now subsumed into the OSH Code, so contract-labour licensing, registers and principal-employer duties are governed under this code.
What are the working-hours limits under the OSH Code?
The code sets a limit of up to 8 hours a day and 48 hours a week, with overtime paid at twice the ordinary rate. The precise overtime accounting is set in the OSH (Central) Rules 2026.
Is an appointment letter mandatory now?
Yes. The OSH Code makes it mandatory for every employer to issue an appointment letter to each employee.
Which laws did the OSH Code replace?
Thirteen, including the Factories Act 1948, the Contract Labour Act 1970, the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act 1979, the BOCW Act 1996 and the Mines Act.
Run contract-labour compliance under the OSH Code
ZeniaHR handles contract-labour licensing records, registers, attendance and appointment letters for a workforce deployed across client sites.
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