The Code on Wages 2019, consolidates four key labour laws i.e. Payment of Wages Act, Minimum Wages Act, Payment of Bonus Act, and Equal Remuneration Act, into a single framework. It guarantees statutory minimum wages for all employees, introduces centrally notified floor wages, links wages to skill, arduousness, and geography, and mandates timely payment, wage slips, and bonuses. It protects vulnerable groups, including women, daily wagers, migrant and contractual workers, and promotes gender equality by ensuring equal pay and women’s representation on advisory boards. It also decriminalises minor offences, replacing imprisonment with civil penalties and compounding provisions, fostering compliance without fear.
(Link: Implementation Notification Dated 21/11/2025, Code Notification Dated 08/08/2019, PIB Press Release Dated 21/11/2025)