India: Health & Safety

Welcome to the eighth edition of the e-Bulletin (Volume VIII) brought to you by the Employment, Labour and Benefits practice group of Khaitan & Co. This e-Bulletin covers regulatory developments, case law updates and insights into industry practices that impact businesses from a sector agnostic standpoint.

Establishments operating in Maharashtra, including those in the shops and commercial establishments, factory and other scheduled employment categories, are required to ensure that wages paid to workers with effect from July 1, 2026, are aligned with the revised Special Allowance, failing which arrears would fall due for the intervening period.

The framework established under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH Act, 2013) exist to give women a safe and dignified working environment. While the statute is primarily victim-centric, it also gives the accused certain fair process rights, including, in many institutions, the right to appeal an adverse finding before it is acted upon.

The recent sexual harassment allegations emerging from a prominent IT company in Nashik have triggered widespread concerns across corporate India and reignited a nationwide conversation around workplace safety, accountability and effective implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 also known as the POSH Act.

Creating safe and respectful workplaces for women is essential for ensuring equality, dignity and participation in the workforce. To support this goal and strengthen the implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH Act), the Government of India has embraced digital solutions.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (“DGCA”) has introduced a significant reform to India’s aviation safety oversight framework through General Safety Circular No. 01 of 2025 dated 19 June 2025 (the “Circular”)...

The overlap between Central and State labour laws could be a source of complexity for employers in India. The constitutional principles suggest that central legislation ordinarily prevails over State laws on matters in the concurrent list. This issue came into focus pursuant to notification of the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (“OSH Code”).

India's Ministry of Labour and Employment has notified the Central Rules under all four labour codes, marking a pivotal shift from legislative reform to operational compliance. What do these new rules mean for employers in sectors like railways, telecom, banking, IT/ITES, and other multi-state operations, and what immediate steps must organizations take to ensure workplace readiness?

On 21 November 2025, the Ministry of Labour and Employment notified India's four Labour Codes, the Code on Wages, 2019 (Wage Code); the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 (IR Code); the Code on Social Security, 2020 (SS Code); and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (OSH Code), bringing one of the most sweeping overhauls of Indian employment regulation since Independence into force.