A Complete Practical Guide to HR, Payroll & Labour Law Compliance Across the Employee Lifecycle
(New Labour Codes Updated, 2026 Edition)

Compliance Is No Longer a "Once a Year" Job

HR compliance in India isn't one law — it's four layers (Central, State, Local, and now the New Labour Codes) running at the same time.

A missed return, an outdated register, or a wrongly classified employee can turn into a labour inspection finding, a penalty, or a dispute.

This book is built to help you stay ahead of that — across hiring, payroll, benefits, safety, exits, and everything in between.

What This Book Actually Helps You Do

• Understand which compliance obligations apply to your company, and at what employee count.
• Set up correct registrations, contracts, and Standing Orders from day one.
• Manage EPF, ESI, Gratuity, Maternity, Bonus and Workers' Compensation correctly.
• Maintain the registers, returns and records you're legally required to keep.
• Build a state-by-state view of Shops Act, LWF and Professional Tax obligations.
• Know exactly what to do when a labour inspector walks in.

This Is Not Theory. This Is a Practical Reference.

Most compliance content explains what the law says. This book explains what you actually need to do — with At-a-Glance chapter summaries and action checklists you can use directly during audits and reviews.

• Practical Format
• Simplified Language
• Right Sequence
• Structured Correct

What You Will Master Inside

• The architecture of Indian labour law and the Four New Labour Codes — what's in force today vs. what's pending.
• Establishment registration, employment contracts and disciplinary compliance.
• Social security and statutory benefits: EPF, ESI, Gratuity, Maternity, Bonus and Workers' Compensation.
• Industrial relations: unions, disputes, retrenchment and closure.
• Safety, welfare and equal rights: OSH Code, PwD, Child Labour and Transgender Persons' Rights.
• Wages, state obligations and sector-specific compliance (IT, healthcare, manufacturing, construction, banking, mining and plantations).
• Registers, records and the full employee lifecycle.
• New-age compliance: DPDP Act 2023, WFH, gig workers, international employees, ESOPs, NPS, VRS and M&A.

Complete Compliance Coverage

• The Four New Labour Codes (Wages, Industrial Relations, Social Security and OSH).
• EPF, ESI, Gratuity, Maternity Benefit and Bonus Acts.
• Shops & Establishments Act, LWF and Professional Tax (state-by-state).
• Minimum Wages, Equal Remuneration and Authorised Deductions.
• Industrial Disputes, Standing Orders and Retrenchment.
• DPDP Act 2023 (Employee Data Privacy).
• ISMW Act, RPwD Act, Transgender Persons Act and Child Labour Act.

Audit & Inspection Readiness Included

• What to do before, during and after a labour inspection.
• A consolidated penalty and risk matrix across all major Acts.
• An employee master file document and audit checklist.
• A step-by-step HR compliance audit methodology.
• An annual HR compliance calendar you can adapt to your company.

39 Chapters + 8 Appendices. One Reference.

Organised across 9 parts — from Understanding the Framework to Managing Compliance — plus appendices covering a glossary, government portal directory, quick-reference forms list, penalty matrix and policy templates.

Aligned with the New Labour Codes

This edition is explicit about where Indian labour law stands right now:

• All Four Labour Codes have been passed and received Presidential assent.
• Central draft rules are under consultation; states have not uniformly notified their rules yet.
• Old laws continue to apply where new rules are not notified. This book covers both frameworks and clearly flags the difference.

Who This Book Is For

• HR Generalists, HR Managers and HRBPs.
• Heads of HR managing compliance across multiple states.
• Founders and business owners without a dedicated compliance team.
• Fresh HR executives who want to understand the why, not just the what.
• Compliance officers and internal audit teams.

What This Book Does NOT Cover

This book does cover a Principal Employer's joint liability under EPF, ESI, Minimum Wages and the OSH Code when workers are deployed through contractors.

Three areas are covered in separate companion volumes — not this book:

• POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) Compliance.
• Payroll & Tax Compliance.
• CLRA (Contract Labour) Compliance.

Format

• Digital eBook (PDF), 236 Pages.
• Practical Edition, 2026 — New Labour Codes Updated.
• Instant Access After Purchase.

Important Note

This is a practical HR compliance reference eBook for educational purposes. It is not legal advice. Rates, thresholds and deadlines change over time. Always verify current figures from official government portals (Ministry of Labour, EPFO, ESIC and Shram Suvidha) and consult a qualified labour law advocate or chartered accountant before acting.

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If you handle HR compliance in India — even part of the time — this is a working reference, not just a book.

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