Before → now
The 14 changes we are asked about most, each with the exact section so you can read the law itself.
Before
Each Act defined wages its own way, so PF, gratuity and bonus were often computed on a small basic pay.
Now
Wages are basic pay, dearness allowance and retaining allowance. If the excluded payments exceed half of total remuneration, the excess is added back to wages.
Before
Each state set minimum wages only for listed (“scheduled”) employments.
Now
The Central Government fixes a floor wage; state minimum wages cannot go below it, and minimum wages now cover all employees.
Before
Timelines varied by establishment size under the Payment of Wages Act.
Now
Monthly wages before the 7th of the next month. On removal, dismissal, retrenchment or resignation, wages within two working days.
Before
Double overtime applied under the Factories Act and some other laws.
Now
Overtime must be paid at not less than twice the normal rate of wages.
Before
Gratuity needed five years of continuous service.
Now
The five-year minimum does not apply when a fixed term ends; the IR Code makes a fixed-term worker eligible for gratuity after one year under the contract.
Before
No statutory scheme for gig and platform workers.
Now
Aggregators contribute 1–2% of annual turnover (as notified), capped at 5% of what they pay gig and platform workers.
Before
The central Standing Orders Act applied from 100 workers; some states set lower limits.
Now
The standing orders chapter applies to industrial establishments with 300 or more workers.
Before
Under the central Industrial Disputes Act, prior permission was needed from 100 workers.
Now
The special provisions on lay-off, retrenchment and closure apply where 300 or more workers (or a higher notified number) are employed.
Before
Retrenchment meant compensation only.
Now
On retrenchment, the employer also contributes fifteen days' last-drawn wages per worker to a re-skilling fund.
Before
Notice rules applied mainly to public utility services.
Now
No strike or lock-out in any industrial establishment without notice within sixty days before, and not within fourteen days of giving notice.
Before
Appointment letters were not universally required.
Now
Every employee gets a letter of appointment, and employers provide a free annual health examination for employees of the notified age or class.
Before
The central Contract Labour Act applied from 20 contract workers (some states, Maharashtra among them, had raised it).
Now
The contract labour part applies to establishments with 50 or more contract labour, and to contractors employing 50 or more.
Before
Night work for women was largely restricted under the Factories Act.
Now
Women may be employed before 6 a.m. and after 7 p.m. with their consent, subject to conditions on safety, holidays and working hours.
Before
Leave with wages needed 240 days of work under the Factories Act.
Now
A worker who has worked 180 days or more in a calendar year earns one day's leave for every twenty days worked.
“Before” refers to the central Acts the codes replaced; states sometimes had different limits. Several figures can be changed by notification — the section text shows where.