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The Code on Wages- Summary

Updated: Jun 11, 2021

CHAPTER 1. PRELIMINARY


1. The code on wages, 2019 applies to the whole of India

2. Specific definitions apply in respect of following

a. Accounting year

b. Advisory Board

c. Agricultural Income tax law

d. Appropriate Govt

e. Company

f. Contract Labour

g. Cooperative Society

h. Corporation

i. Direct Tax

j. Employee

k. Employer

l. Establishment

m. Factory

n. Govt Establishment

o. Income Tax Act

p. Industrial Dispute

q. Inspector cum facilitator

r. Minimum wages

s. Notification

t. Prescribed

u. Work of similar nature or same work

v. State

w. Tribunal

x. Worker

3. Prohibition of discrimination on the ground of gender

4. Whether the work will be classified as the same or similar nature shall be decided by the officer or authority appointed


CHAPTER 2. MINIMUM WAGES

5. Payment of lesser wages not allowed

6. Central govt or state govt shall decide the minimum wages for time or piece for hour/day/month based on skill, area, both, and condition of work

7. Minimum wages consist of Basic and cost of living or cost of concessional rates of essential products or all of them

8. To fix and revise the minimum wages, govt will make a committee with equal members from the employer side and employee side and 1/3rd of the total as an independent. The revision shall be made in 5 years

9. Central govt will decide on floor wages. And minimum wages will be higher of floor wages and minimum wages decided by appropriate govt

10. If an employee works lesser by his unwillingness to work, his payment may be deducted pro-rata

11. If 2 types of work are done by an employee, minimum wages shall be pro-rata based on work

12. If the piece rate is given, it will not be less than hour rates

13. Govt will fix the hours to be worked, with intervals and day of rest. Wages of a day of work will be double

14. Overtime rate will be double

CHAPTER 3. PAYMENT OF WAGES

15. Wages will be paid in cash/cheques/bank credit

16. Payment period will be daily/weekly/15th day/monthly

17. Time of payment will be: End of shift for daily, Last working day of the week for weekly, 2nd day after a fortnight for bi-monthly, 7th day of next month for monthly. Payment will be made in 2 days if an employee is dismissed

18. Several deductions including PF, TDS, etc can be made, but maximum deduction in a month will be 50% of wages

19. Fines imposed to an employee shall not be more than 3% of wages of the period, no fines can be imposed on a worker below 15 years. And all fines shall be recorded in registers prescribed

20. Deductions for absence from duty may be made as per provisions given

21. Deductions for damage can be made if negligence is proved

22. Deductions on account of the house can be made only if such house is accepted by the employee

23. Advances given may be recovered

24. Loans given can be deducted

25. This chapter will not apply to Govt Establishment


CHAPTER 4. PAYMENT OF BONUS

26. Bonus will be payable if an employee works for minimum 30 days in a year amount higher of 8.33% of wages or Rs 100 out of allocable surplus

27. If an employee has not worked on all working days then bonus in excess of 8.33% will be reduced pro-rata

28. Working days number will be calculated in the manner prescribed

29. Bonus will be disqualified if an employee is guilty of proven fraud, violent behaviour, theft, sexual harassment

30. Departments and branch shall be treated as the establishment

31. Bonus will be paid from allocable surplus, which will be 60% of available surplus in case of banks and 67% for others

32. Gross profit will be computed in the manner prescribed by rules

33. Available surplus = Gross profit – deductions under sec 34

34. Deductible sums will be agricultural tax, income tax, or direct tax

35. Calculations of direct tax is given

36. Set off rules are given

37. Adjustment of interim bonus

38. Deductions can be made from bonus

39. Time limit for payment of bonus

40. Applicability to govt sectors

41. This chapter not applicable to certain establishments


CHAPTER 5. ADVISORY BOARD

42. Constitution and number of members and work of the central advisory board and state advisory board


CHAPTER 6. PAYMENT OF DUES, CLAIMS, AND AUDIT

43. Responsibility to pay deductions made lies with the employer

44. Employee will not be held responsible for sums deducted and not deposited to govt

45. Provisions of claims

46. Reference to disputes

47. Audited financial statements shall be deemed to be true

48. Audit of non-companies can be made by auditors who can audit the companies

49. Appeal provisions

50. Records to maintain, returns to be filled


CHAPTER 7. Inspector cum Facilitator

51. Appointment of inspectors cum facilitator their powers


CHAPTER 8. PENALTIES

52. Courts will not take cognizance without complaints.

53. Proper officer will only impose penalties

54. Penalty for fewer wages will be 50,000 and for the repeated offense, it will be Rs 1,00,000 and or jail of 3 months and settlement will not be allowed. Penalty for other offense will be 20,000 for 1st time, for a subsequent time in 5 years it will be 40,000 and or jail of 1 month. Penalty for non-maintenance of proper records and returns will be Rs 10,000

55. In the case of a company, the company and its officers will be liable

56. Composition can be made by paying 50% of the maximum penalty in case of offense where the jail is not mentioned. Ie for 1st-time offense mentioned in 54.


CHAPTER 9. MISCELLANEOUS

57. Burden of proof of payment lies with the employer. Payment of wages act, bonus act, minimum wage act, equal remuneration acts stands repealed.

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