New labour laws implementation date: From when will these new rules come into effect, benefits, eligibility criteria

The government has announced four labour codes – the Code on Wages, 2019, the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, the Code on Social Security, 2020 and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020. Sajai Singh, Partner – JSA Advocates & Solicitors, says, “Under the new labour codes in India, “fixed-term employees” are those employees engaged through a written employment contract for a specified, limited duration. Such employees must be treated on par with permanent employees in matters relating to working hours, wages, allowances, and other benefits, provided they perform the same or a similar nature of work. Additionally, fixed-term employees are entitled to proportionate employee benefits that are otherwise available to permanent employees, based on the period of service they have rendered, even if that period does not meet the qualifying threshold ordinarily required for such benefits. Further, under the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, a fixed-term employee becomes eligible for gratuity upon completing one year of service under the contract. Therefore, employees engaged by an establishment for a predetermined, limited period, where their employment contract naturally expires on a specified date, will fall within the definition of fixed-term employees.” Read more