Notification Record & Forms
Notification details and the forms every employer needs, in one place.
- Issuing authority
- Haryana Government, Labour Department
- Notified
- 4th May 2026 (Notification No. 2/27/2026 2 LAB), published in the Haryana Government Gazette, Part I, dated 5th May 2026
- Objection window
- 45 days from the date of publication. Since the rules were published on 5th May 2026, the window for objections and suggestions closed on or around 19th June 2026
- Legal basis
- Sections 133 and 135 of the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (Central Act No. 37 of 2020)
- Supersedes
- The earlier draft Haryana Occupational Safety, Health and Working Condition Rules, 2021, published on 17th September 2021 vide notification No. 02/11/2021 2Lab
- Status as of
- 30th July 2026: Draft stage. The objection period has closed and the rules await final notification by the Haryana Government
The Haryana Government published a fresh draft of its Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Rules on 5th May 2026, replacing the earlier 2021 draft. These rules explain how the central Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 will actually work on the ground in Haryana, covering everything from online registration and appointment letters to safety committees, welfare facilities and penalties.
This guide breaks the draft down into the forms an employer must file, the deadlines that matter, the key provisions to know, how the position compares with the old Factories Act regime, who the rules cover, and answers to the questions employers most often ask.
Forms under the State Rules
Due Dates
Compliance deadlines, forms and how often each one recurs.
| Compliance | Form | Compliance Frequency | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration of new establishment | Form 4 | One time, within 60 days of the Code becoming applicable | Within 60 days (a late fee of 25 percent of the registration fee applies afterwards) |
| Issue of registration certificate | Form 5 | One time | Within 7 days of a complete application, failing which registration is deemed granted automatically |
| Notice of commencement or cessation of operations | Form 7 | Event based | Within 30 days of commencement or cessation |
| Notice of fatal accident | Form 9 | Event based | Within 12 hours, with immediate telephonic intimation |
| Notice of accident causing disability beyond 48 hours | Form 9 | Event based | Within 60 hours of the accident |
| Notice of dangerous occurrence | Form 9 | Event based | Within 12 hours of the occurrence |
| Wage slip to employees | As prescribed under the Code on Wages | Every wage period | On or before the date of payment of wages |
| Unified annual return | Form 13 | Yearly | Not later than 1st February following the end of the calendar year |
| Appointment letter to existing employees not yet issued one | Prescribed format under Rule 9 | One time transitional requirement | Within 3 months of these rules coming into force |
| Annual health examination of eligible employees | Form 8 | Yearly | Once in every calendar year, free of cost to the employee |
| Safety Committee meetings | Minutes to be maintained | Recurring | At least once every quarter |
| Laboratory analysis report on samples taken by Inspector | Form 18 | Event based | Within 7 days of completing the analysis |
| Deposit of compounding amount after notice | Linked to Form 36 | Event based | Within 15 days of receiving the compounding notice |
| Disaster control and management plan rehearsal (hazardous process factories) | Not applicable | Yearly | At least once a year |
| Preservation of leave register | Form 14 | Ongoing | 2 years from the date of the last entry |
| Preservation of muster roll | Form 15 | Ongoing | 3 years from the date of the last entry |
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 law | 13 separate central laws, including the Factories Act 1948, the Contract Labour Regulation and Abolition Act 1970, the Inter State Migrant Workmen Act 1979 and the Building and Other Construction Workers Act 1996, each with its own rules | One unified Code, the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code 2020, operationalised in Haryana through a single set of state rules |
| Factory worker threshold | 10 or more workers where power is used, 20 or more workers where power is not used, under the Factories Act 1948 | 20 or more workers where power is used, 40 or more workers where power is not used, for full factory status. General establishment coverage under the Code still begins at 10 or more workers |
| Contract labour licensing threshold | 20 or more contract workers under the Contract Labour Regulation and Abolition Act 1970 | 50 or more contract workers under the Code, giving relief to smaller contractors |
| Registration process | Separate manual or semi digital registrations under each of the erstwhile Acts, often at different offices | One online registration in Form 4, with a certificate in Form 5 issued within 7 days or deemed granted automatically thereafter |
| Returns and compliance filing | Multiple separate periodic returns under different Acts | One unified annual return in Form 13, covering the OSH Code, the Industrial Relations Code, the Code on Social Security and the Code on Wages together, due by 1st February each year |
| Night work for women | Women were generally restricted from working between 7 PM and 6 AM under the Factories Act 1948, with exemptions needing separate state government orders | Women may work at night in any establishment with their consent, subject to safeguards notified by the State Government, without a separate exemption order |
| Appointment letter | Not a mandatory requirement in most cases under the Factories Act 1948 | Mandatory for every employee, in a prescribed format capturing Aadhaar, UAN, ESIC and skill details, with a 3 month transition window for existing staff |
| Safety Committee threshold | Required only for specified hazardous factories under the Factories Act 1948, at the discretion of the Chief Inspector | Mandatory at 150 or more employees generally, or at 50 or more employees for establishments handling a hazardous substance or process |
| Annual leave carry forward | Varied by state amendment to the Factories Act 1948, generally allowing leave to lapse beyond a cap | Leave carry forward capped at 30 days under the Code, with compulsory encashment of any leave earned beyond that cap |
| Compounding of offences | Limited and inconsistent compounding provisions across the erstwhile Acts | A structured compounding mechanism under Rule 120, with a dedicated Compounding Officer, a defined 7 day and 15 day timeline, and proceeds credited to a Social Security Fund for unorganised workers |
| Penalty for general contravention | Comparatively lower fines, typically a few thousand rupees under the Factories Act 1948 | Significantly higher fines under the Code, generally between Rupees 2 lakh and Rupees 3 lakh for a first general contravention where no specific penalty is prescribed |
Applicability
Who the Code covers, and who gets special or exempt treatment.
Covered
- Any establishment in Haryana where 10 or more workers are employed, for the general provisions of the Code
- A factory where 20 or more workers are employed with the aid of power, or 40 or more workers without power
- A motor transport undertaking, newspaper establishment, audio video production unit, building or other construction work, or plantation employing 10 or more workers
- Mines and ports, or the vicinity of a port where dock work is carried out
- Establishments engaging 50 or more contract workers on any day in the preceding 12 months, for contractor licensing
- Establishments employing 10 or more interstate migrant workers
Exempted / special treatment
- Establishments carrying on a hazardous or life threatening activity notified by the Central Government are covered regardless of the worker threshold, so the usual numeric exemption does not apply to them
- Offices of the Central Government and the State Government, and any ship of war, fall outside the Code
- The State Government may, by notification, exempt a new establishment or class of establishment from specific provisions of the rules in the public interest
- Establishments below the applicable worker threshold are not required to register, though other labour welfare obligations may still apply
- A Competent Person who is exceptionally experienced may have the usual qualification norms relaxed by the Chief Inspector cum Facilitator, though facility requirements cannot be relaxed
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to what employers ask us most about this rule.
What are the Haryana Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Rules, 2026?
They are the draft state rules that put into practice, within Haryana, the central Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020. The draft was notified on 4th May 2026 and covers registration, working hours, welfare facilities, safety committees, contract labour and penalties for establishments across the state.
Have these rules been finally notified, or are they still a draft?
As of 30th July 2026, they remain a draft. The Haryana Government invited objections and suggestions for 45 days from the date of publication, and that window closed around 19th June 2026. Final notification is still awaited, so employers should track the Haryana Labour Department for the confirmed rules before treating every provision as binding.
Which establishments need to register under these rules?
Broadly, any establishment in Haryana with 10 or more workers falls within the general coverage of the Code. Factories cross into full factory status at 20 or more workers with power, or 40 or more workers without power. Motor transport undertakings, newspaper establishments, construction sites and plantations with 10 or more workers are also covered.
How do we apply for registration and what does it cost?
Registration is done electronically in Form 4, and the fee depends on headcount, starting at Rupees 1,000 for up to 20 employees and rising to Rupees 50,000 for establishments above 5,000 employees. The Certificate of Registration in Form 5 should be issued within 7 days, and if it is not, registration is deemed granted automatically.
Is a written appointment letter mandatory for every employee?
Yes. Under Rule 9, no employee can be engaged without a letter of appointment in the prescribed format. Employees who were already working without one when the rules come into force must be issued a letter within 3 months.
When is the annual return due, and which form is used?
The unified annual return is filed electronically in Form 13, and it must reach the jurisdictional Inspector cum Facilitator not later than 1st February following the end of each calendar year.
What is the timeline for reporting a workplace accident?
A fatal accident must be reported in Form 9 within 12 hours, along with immediate telephonic intimation. An accident causing disability for more than 48 hours must be reported within 60 hours, and a dangerous occurrence must be reported within 12 hours.
When does an establishment need a Safety Committee and a Safety Officer?
A Safety Committee is mandatory once an establishment has 150 or more employees, or 50 or more employees where a hazardous substance or process is involved. A dedicated Safety Officer becomes mandatory between 500 and 1,500 employees, with an additional officer for every further 1,000 employees.
Can women be employed on night shifts under the new rules?
Yes. Women may be employed for any type of work, including between 7 PM and 6 AM, provided they consent and the employer follows the safeguards that the State Government notifies from time to time. This is a notable change from the more restrictive position under the earlier Factories Act 1948.
What welfare facilities become mandatory, and at what headcount?
A creche is required once 50 or more workers are employed, a canteen is required once 100 or more workers, including contract labour, are ordinarily employed, and an ambulance room becomes mandatory once more than 500 workers are ordinarily employed.
Sources
Where every fact on this page comes from.
- → Haryana Government Gazette Notification No. 2/27/2026 2 LAB dated 4th May 2026, Draft Haryana Occupational Safety, Health and Working Condition Rules, 2026, Part I, Haryana Government Gazette, 5th May 2026 (official)
- → The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (Central Act No. 37 of 2020), Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India (official)
- → PRS Legislative Research, analysis of the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020
- → Praans Consultech primary source verification, cross checked against the notified gazette copy of the draft rules
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.