WebHR

Working hours, overtime and leave under the OSH Code

Eight-hour days and a 12-hour spread-over, overtime at twice the rate, women at night, earned leave after 180 days, carry-forward and encashment, and appointment letters.

Applies to:
All India (Central); states and S&E Acts add detail
For:
HR, Managers
Last reviewed:

Hours and overtime

RulePosition
Daily hoursUp to 8 hours of work a day
Spread-overWork plus rest intervals within 12 hours a day
WeeklyThe weekly limit and weekly day off are set by the rules (and, for offices and shops, the state’s S&E Act)
OvertimeAt twice the ordinary rate of wages
Women at nightMay work before 6 am and after 7 pm with their consent, and the safety, transport and other conditions the rules set

Earned leave

  • A worker who has worked 180 days or more in a calendar year earns annual leave with wages the next year (the old laws required 240).
  • Leave accrues at one day for every 20 days worked.
  • Unused leave can be carried forward up to the limit the Code sets (30 days); leave above the limit can be encashed at the end of the year.
  • On leaving, unused earned leave is paid out with the final settlement.
In WebHR

In WebHR, leave types carry their own accrual, carry-forward limit, expiry and encashment settings (Leaves → Leave Types and Leave Policies). Overtime recorded in attendance can be paid through payroll.

Appointment letters and health

  • Every employee gets an appointment letter in the prescribed form when they join — including those already in service who never received one.
  • Employers give a free annual health check-up to employees above the age the rules prescribe.
  • An establishment registers once, electronically, under the OSH Code; factories, mines and establishments with contract labour have further duties.

References

  1. The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (India Code)
  2. DLA Piper — Labour Codes: a new era of compliance

Related

Plain-language guidance for HR teams, not legal advice. Checked against the sources above on 29 September 2026; the notification or your authority’s portal is final. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.