Notification Record & Forms
Notification details and the forms every employer needs, in one place.
- Issuing authority
- Government of Meghalaya, Department of Labour, Employment and Skill Development
- Notified
- Draft published on 3 January 2025 through a notification in the Gazette of Meghalaya
- Objection window
- 45 days from the date of publication, that is till on or about 17 February 2025, addressed to the Deputy Secretary, Department of Labour, Employment and Skill Development, Secretariat Hills, Shillong, or by email to labourdeptt.sectt@gmail.com
- Legal basis
- Section 67 of the Code on Wages, 2019 (Central Act 29 of 2019), which gives State Governments the power to make rules
- Supersedes
- The Assam Minimum Wages Rules 1952 and the Assam Payment of Wages Rules 1974, both earlier adapted for Meghalaya under the Meghalaya Adaptation of Law and Orders (No 1), 1974
- Status as of
- 23 July 2026, still at draft stage based on publicly available records, final notification awaited
The Code on Wages, 2019 is a central law that brings together four older wage laws, namely the Payment of Wages Act, the Minimum Wages Act, the Payment of Bonus Act and the Equal Remuneration Act. For the Code to work on the ground, every state has to frame its own rules. The Draft Code on Wages Meghalaya Rules 2024 is Meghalaya's version of these rules.
It sets out how minimum wages will be calculated, how the floor wage will be fixed, how wages must be paid, which forms and registers employers must keep, how the State Advisory Board will function and how wage disputes will be handled. This guide explains the draft rules in everyday language so that employers, HR teams and employees in Meghalaya can understand what is proposed and get ready for it.
These rules were published in draft form on 3 January 2025 for public objections and suggestions. Publicly available government records, including the official Labour Commissioner's website, continue to show this as a draft as of 23 July 2026, with no separate final notification located.
Forms under the State Rules
Due Dates
Compliance deadlines, forms and how often each one recurs.
| Compliance | Form | Compliance Frequency | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Issue wage slip | Form V | Every wage period | On or before payment of wages |
| Maintain employee register | Form I | Continuous, updated on joining or exit | Kept current, preserved 5 years after last entry |
| Maintain wage, overtime, fine and deduction register | Form IV | Every wage period | Updated each wage period, preserved 5 years after last entry |
| Maintain attendance register cum muster roll | Form IX | Monthly | Updated daily, preserved 5 years after last entry |
| Revise dearness allowance | Twice a year | Computed before 1 April and before 1 October each year | |
| File annual return | Format under OSH Code rules | Annual | As per the format prescribed under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code rules |
| Intimate deduction for absence to the Inspector cum Facilitator | As and when a deduction is made | Within 10 days of the deduction | |
| Intimate deduction for damage or loss to the employee | As and when a deduction is made | Within 15 days of the deduction | |
| Deposit undisbursed wages with the Deputy or Assistant Labour Commissioner | When dues remain unpaid for 6 months | Before the 15th day after the last day of that 6 month period |
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 rules | Assam Minimum Wages Rules 1952 and Assam Payment of Wages Rules 1974, both adapted for Meghalaya | Code on Wages Meghalaya Rules 2024, framed under the central Code on Wages 2019 |
| Minimum wage fixation | Fixed by the state using its own criteria, with no linked national floor | Cannot be lower than the floor wage fixed by the Central Government under Section 9 |
| Skill categories | Categories not formally linked to a national framework | Unskilled, semi skilled, skilled and highly skilled categories advised by a Technical Committee, aligned to the national skill framework where possible |
| Records and registers | Mostly physical registers only | Registers and wage slips may be maintained electronically or in physical form |
| Dispute forum | Separate forums under separate laws such as the Payment of Wages Act and the Minimum Wages Act | A single Authority and Appellate Authority handle claims and appeals under one Code |
| Advisory mechanism | No single state level board covering all wage matters | A State Advisory Board with employer, employee and independent members, including women members |
| Working hours | Governed separately under older state and central laws | Standardised at 48 hours a week with clearly defined spread over limits under Rule 6 |
| Settling minor offences | No structured provision | Rule 47 allows compounding of eligible offences through a Gazetted Officer |
Applicability
Who the Code covers, and who gets special or exempt treatment.
Covered
- All establishments and employees in Meghalaya to which the Code on Wages 2019 applies, including shops, factories, plantations and other notified employments
- Employees engaged on a daily, monthly or piece rate basis
- Employees governed by the standard 48 hour week under Rule 6
- Wage claims and disputes handled through the Authority and the Appellate Authority
Exempted / special treatment
- Some bonus related provisions of the Code apply differently above a wage ceiling notified separately
- Agricultural employment, where the working hour rules under Rule 6(1) and (2) may be modified by the State Government
- Employees under clauses (a) to (e) of Section 13(2) of the Code, whose spread over of work may extend up to 16 hours a day under Rule 9
- Terms that are more favourable to an employee under any other law, award, agreement or contract continue to apply instead of these rules, as stated in Rule 7(5)
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to what employers ask us most about this rule.
What is the Draft Code on Wages Meghalaya Rules 2024?
It is a set of state rules proposed by the Government of Meghalaya to implement the central Code on Wages 2019 in Meghalaya. It covers minimum wages, payment of wages, registers, wage slips and dispute resolution.
Is this law already in force in Meghalaya?
No. As of now these rules are still in draft form. They will come into force only from the date they are finally published in the Meghalaya Gazette, as stated in Rule 1(3).
Who is covered by these rules?
All establishments and employees in Meghalaya to which the Code on Wages 2019 applies, including shops, factories and other notified employments, subject to a few special provisions for agricultural work and certain categories of employees.
What is the floor wage and how is it different from the minimum wage?
The floor wage is a base wage fixed by the Central Government under Section 9 of the Code. The minimum wage fixed by Meghalaya cannot be lower than this floor wage.
How many hours can an employee be asked to work in a week?
Rule 6 caps normal working hours at 48 hours a week, with defined limits on how the work can be spread across the day.
What registers must an employer maintain?
Employers must maintain the Employee Register in Form I, the Register of Wages, Overtime, Fine and Deductions in Form IV, and the Attendance Register cum Muster Roll in Form IX. All must be preserved for 5 years after the last entry.
When must a wage slip be issued?
Rule 44 requires every employer to issue a wage slip in Form V, electronically or otherwise, on or before the date of payment of wages.
How often is dearness allowance revised?
Rule 5 requires dearness allowance to be reviewed twice a year, before 1 April and before 1 October, based on the Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers.
9. What happens if an employer pays an employee less than what is due?
Under Section 54 of the Code on Wages 2019, this is punishable with a fine of up to Rs 50,000 for a first offence, and imprisonment of up to 3 months or a fine of up to Rs 1,00,000, or both, for a repeat offence within 5 years.
10. Can an employer settle an offence instead of going to court?
Yes. Rule 47 allows an accused person to apply to a Gazetted Officer for compounding of the offence by paying up to 50 percent of the maximum fine, in cases where compounding is allowed.
11. Which older laws will these rules replace?
Rule 52 shows that these rules will replace the Assam Minimum Wages Rules 1952 and the Assam Payment of Wages Rules 1974, both of which were earlier adapted for use in Meghalaya.
12. Where were objections to the draft rules to be sent?
Objections and suggestions were invited within 45 days of publication, addressed to the Deputy Secretary, Department of Labour, Employment and Skill Development, Government of Meghalaya, Secretariat Hills, Shillong, or by email to labourdeptt.sectt@gmail.com.
13. Does the State Advisory Board have any reserved seats for women?
Yes. Rule 21(4) requires that one third of the members of the State Advisory Board be women.
Sources
Where every fact on this page comes from.
- → Draft Code on Wages Meghalaya Rules, 2024, Office of the Labour Commissioner, Government of Meghalaya, meglc.gov.in (official)
- → Draft Notification on Code on Wages Meghalaya Rules, 2024, published in the Gazette of Meghalaya on 3 January 2025 (official)
- → The Code on Wages, 2019 (Central Act 29 of 2019), Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India (official)
- → Office of the Labour Commissioner, Government of Meghalaya, official notifications page, meglc.gov.in/notification.html (official)
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.