Notification Record & Forms
Notification details and the forms every employer needs, in one place.
- Issuing authority
- Labour Resources Department, Government of Bihar
- Notified
- 1 July 2026 (Notification No. 1/COSS 10 01/2020 75/JLa)
- Legal basis
- Section 99 of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 (35 of 2020) read with Section 24 of the General Clauses Act, 1897
- Supersedes
- Bihar Industrial Dispute Rules, 1961; Bihar Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Rules, 1947; Bihar and Orissa Trade Union Regulations, 1928
- Status as of
- 1 July 2026, final notification published
The Industrial Relations (Bihar) Rules, 2025 set out how the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 works on the ground for employers across the state. They bring trade union registration, works committees, grievance redressal, standing orders, strikes, lockouts, and the process for layoff, retrenchment, and closure under one framework, replacing three separate Bihar laws that employers previously had to track on their own.
Forms under the State Rules
Due Dates
Compliance deadlines, forms and how often each one recurs.
| Compliance | Form | Compliance Frequency | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notice of change in conditions of service | Form XI | Event based | Before the intended change takes effect, with a copy displayed on the notice board and served on any registered trade union |
| Intimation of a strike notice received from workers | Event based | Within 5 days of receiving the strike notice | |
| Notice of lockout | Form XXI | Event based | Before the lockout takes effect, endorsed to the conciliation officer and Labour Commissioner |
| Intimation of lockout notice given to workers | Event based | Within 5 days of the notice being given | |
| Retrenchment intimation to the State Government | Form XXII | Event based | At least 30 days before the date of retrenchment (or within 3 days where notice pay is given in lieu, or the agreed termination date is within 30 days) |
| Closure intimation to the State Government | Form XXII | Event based | At least 60 days before the intended date of closure |
| Application for permission to layoff (establishments covered by Chapter X) | Form XXIII | Event based | At least 15 days before the intended layoff |
| Application to continue a layoff | Form XXIII | Event based | Within 30 days from the date the layoff commenced |
| Application for permission to retrench (establishments covered by Chapter X) | Form XXIII | Event based | At least 60 days before the intended date of retrenchment |
| Application for permission to close down (establishments covered by Chapter X) | Form XXIII | Event based | At least 90 days before the intended date of closure |
| Transfer of contribution to the Worker Reskilling Fund | Event based, per retrenched worker | Within 10 days of retrenching a worker; equal to 15 days of the worker's last drawn wages | |
| Compounding application after receiving a compounding notice | Form XXIV (Part III) | Event based | Within 15 days of receipt of the compounding notice |
Key Provisions
What changed under the Code, and what it means for payroll.
Old Law vs. New Law
What employers followed before, against what applies now — point matched against point.
| On this point | Before — earlier law | Now — the new Code |
|---|---|---|
| Governing framework | Three separate Bihar statutes: the Bihar Industrial Dispute Rules, 1961, the Bihar Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Rules, 1947, and the Bihar and Orissa Trade Union Regulations, 1928 | A single consolidated framework under the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 and these Rules |
| Threshold for prior government permission before layoff, retrenchment, or closure | 100 or more workers, under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 | 300 or more workers, under Chapter X of the Code, giving mid sized establishments more operational flexibility |
| Penalty for contravening layoff, retrenchment, or closure provisions | Fine or imprisonment or both, under Section 25Q of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 | Fine only for a first offence under Section 86 of the Code; imprisonment applies only on a repeat conviction |
| Standing orders certification | Manual certification process under the 1946 Act, with no deemed certification timeline | Deemed certification if the certifying officer raises no observation within 30 days; employers may also adopt Model Standing Orders electronically |
| Worker reskilling support on retrenchment | No equivalent statutory fund | A new Worker Reskilling Fund under Rule 55, requiring employers to contribute 15 days of a retrenched worker's last drawn wages |
| Trade union verification | Manual verification of membership records | The Registrar may use Aadhaar based identification to verify trade union and state trade union membership |
| Recognition of a sole negotiating union | Not formally defined under the Trade Unions Act, 1926 | A registered trade union is recognized as the sole negotiating union if it has more than 25 percent worker membership at the time negotiation begins |
| Mode of communication and record keeping | Physical filing and paper registers | Electronic filing, digital registers, and online portals are recognized throughout, alongside traditional post where the portal is not yet ready |
| Conciliation reporting timeline | No fixed statutory timeline under the earlier framework | The conciliation officer must send a report within 45 days of commencing conciliation proceedings |
| Grievance redressal | Grievance Redressal Committee for establishments with 20 or more workers, under the Industrial Disputes Act framework | Retained at the same 20 worker threshold, with an added requirement for proportional representation of women workers on the Committee |
Applicability
Who the Code covers, and who gets special or exempt treatment.
Covered
- All industrial establishments situated anywhere in the State of Bihar, as defined under the Industrial Relations Code, 2020
- Employers and workers engaged in any industry as defined under Section 2(p) of the Code
- Establishments directed by the State Government to constitute a Works Committee under Section 3
- Establishments employing 20 or more workers, for the mandatory Grievance Redressal Committee under Rule 5
- Establishments employing 300 or more workers, for prior government permission before layoff, retrenchment, or closure under Chapter X
- Registered trade unions, federations of trade unions, and negotiating unions or councils operating within the state
Exempted / special treatment
- Officers in charge of government or railway establishments are treated as the employer for specified purposes under Rule 2(1)(e), rather than the establishment itself
- Establishments with fewer than 20 workers are not required to constitute a Grievance Redressal Committee
- Establishments with fewer than 300 workers are outside Chapter X and do not need prior government permission before layoff, retrenchment, or closure
- Registered trade unions with membership not exceeding 250 may have their annual accounts audited by two of their own members instead of a professional auditor
- Casual labour on the railways is dealt with separately, with the District Officer in charge or Divisional Personnel Officer treated as the employer
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to what employers ask us most about this rule.
What are the Industrial Relations (Bihar) Rules, 2025?
These are the state level rules that spell out how the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 actually works in Bihar. They cover trade union registration, works committees, grievance redressal, standing orders, strikes and lockouts, and how layoffs, retrenchment, and closure are handled in the state.
Which older Bihar laws do these Rules replace?
Once finalized, they will replace three older frameworks together: the Bihar Industrial Dispute Rules of 1961, the Bihar Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Rules of 1947, and the Bihar and Orissa Trade Union Regulations of 1928.
Does every establishment need to set up a Works Committee?
No. A Works Committee is only required where the State Government specifically directs an establishment to constitute one. Where it applies, the Committee cannot exceed 20 members, and worker representation must be at least equal to employer representation.
When is a Grievance Redressal Committee compulsory?
It becomes compulsory once an establishment employs 20 or more workers. The Committee must have equal numbers of employer and worker representatives, up to 10 members in total, and women workers must be represented in proportion to their share of the workforce.
How does a trade union get recognized as the sole negotiating union?
If an establishment has only one registered trade union, the employer must recognize it as the sole negotiating union, but only if more than 25 percent of the total workforce belongs to that union at the time negotiation is initiated.
What is the process for adopting Model Standing Orders?
The employer informs the certifying officer of the date from which the Model Standing Orders are being adopted. If the certifying officer does not raise any observation within 30 days, the standing orders are deemed certified and take effect from the date the employer specified.
Sources
Where every fact on this page comes from.
- → Industrial Relations (Bihar) Rules, 2025, Bihar Gazette (Extraordinary), notification dated 5 December 2025, Labour Resources Department, Government of Bihar
- → The Industrial Relations Code, 2020 (Act No. 35 of 2020), Sections 86 and 89, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India
- → Bihar Labour Resources and Migrant Workers Welfare Department
For informational purposes only — not legal advice. State rules referenced here are subject to change on final notification. Verify current status with our compliance team before acting.