Notification Record & Forms
Notification details and the forms every employer needs, in one place.
- Issuing authority
- Labour Employment Training and Factories (Lab I) Department, Government of Telangana
- Notified
- 29 September 2021, vide G.O.Rt.No. 479, published as a Preliminary Notification in the Telangana Gazette Extraordinary
- Objection window
- 30 days from the date copies of the Gazette were made available to the public, as required under Section 99(1) of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020
- Legal basis
- Section 99 of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 (Central Act No. 35 of 2020), read with Section 24 of the General Clauses Act, 1897
- Supersedes
- Rules made under the Trade Unions Act, 1926, the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946, and the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, as repealed by Section 104 of the Code, except for actions taken or things done before the repeal
- Status as of 14 July 2026
- Telangana has not issued a final notification. Only Arunachal Pradesh and Gujarat have notified final state level Industrial Relations rules so far, and most other states, including Telangana, remain at the draft stage. Employers should confirm current status with the Commissioner of Labour, Telangana, or the Telangana Gazette, before relying on this guide for statutory filings.
- Governing central law
- Industrial Relations Code, 2020, in force nationwide from 21 November 2025; the Industrial Relations (Central) Rules, 2026 were finalised on 8 May 2026 for central sphere establishments
The Industrial Relations (Telangana State) Rules, 2021 set out how the Government of Telangana proposes to apply the central Industrial Relations Code, 2020 within the state. They cover Works Committees, Grievance Redressal Committees, Standing Orders, notice of change, voluntary arbitration, conciliation and Tribunal proceedings, strikes and lock outs, lay off, retrenchment and closure, the Worker Reskilling Fund, and trade union registration.
This guide summarises the Rules for quick reference. It does not replace the official Gazette text, and any figures or filing steps should be confirmed against the primary notification before use.
Forms under the State Rules
Due Dates
Compliance deadlines, forms and how often each one recurs.
| Compliance | Form | Compliance Frequency | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Issue notice of change in service conditions | Form III | Event based | At least 21 days before the change takes effect |
| Intimate retrenchment to State Government and conciliation officer | Form XIV | Event based | Within 3 days of notice to worker or payment of wages in lieu of notice, or 1 month before an agreed termination date |
| Notify closure, establishments below the Chapter X threshold | Form XIV | Event based | At least 60 days before the intended date of closure |
| Apply for permission to lay off, 300 worker threshold establishments | Form XV | Event based | At least 15 days before the intended lay off |
| Apply to continue an existing lay off | Form XV | Event based | At least 15 days before the earlier lay off period expires |
| Apply for permission to retrench, 300 worker threshold establishments | Form XV | Event based | At least 60 days before the intended retrenchment |
| Apply for permission to close, 300 worker threshold establishments | Form XV | Event based | At least 90 days before the intended closure |
| Transfer funds to the Worker Reskilling Fund | Not form based | Event based | Within 10 days of retrenching a worker, equal to 15 days of the worker's last drawn wages |
| Report a strike or lock out notice to conciliation officer and Commissioner of Labour | Not form based | Event based | Within 5 days of receiving or giving the notice |
| Respond to a compounding notice | Form XVI, Part III | Event based | Deposit the compounding amount within 15 days of the notice |
| Communicate the list of protected workmen to a registered trade union | Not form based | Annual | Within 15 days of receiving the union's list, which is due before 30 April each year |
| Decide a Grievance Redressal Committee application | Not form based | Event based | Within 30 days of receiving the application |
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 statutes: Trade Unions Act, 1926, Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946, and Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 | One set of state rules under the unified Industrial Relations Code, 2020 |
| Lay off, retrenchment and closure permission threshold | Government permission required once an establishment reached 100 workers | Threshold raised to 300 workers under Sections 78 to 80 of the Code, though smaller establishments still follow the simpler Chapter IX process |
| Standing Orders applicability threshold | Applied to establishments with 100 or more workers under the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946 | Applies only to establishments with 300 or more workers under Section 28 of the Code, and Model Standing Orders can be adopted through a simple intimation |
| Worker Reskilling Fund | No equivalent fund existed under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 | Rule 38 creates a new statutory fund requiring employers to transfer 15 days of wages for every retrenched worker toward that worker's reskilling |
| Composition of offences | No uniform compounding mechanism across the three older laws | Section 89 of the Code, read with Rule 39, allows most fine only offences to be compounded on payment of a set amount |
| Filing and record keeping | Physical registers, notice boards, and paper based applications | Electronic filing, electronic registers, and electronic notice boards recognised as valid throughout, alongside the traditional paper route |
| Imprisonment for employer contraventions | Several employer side contraventions under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 carried imprisonment as an option | Many employer side contraventions, including lay off, retrenchment and closure procedure violations, are punishable with fine only for a first offence |
| Grievance redressal timeline | The Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 allowed up to 45 days for resolution | Rule 6 shortens this to 30 days for the Grievance Redressal Committee to decide a case |
Applicability
Who the Code covers, and who gets special or exempt treatment.
Covered
- All industrial establishments and matters across the whole of Telangana for which the Telangana State Government is the appropriate government under the Industrial Relations Code, 2020
- Employers who receive a specific order from the State Government under Section 3 of the Code, for the purpose of constituting a Works Committee
- Establishments employing 20 or more workers, for the Grievance Redressal Committee requirement under Rule 5
- Establishments employing 300 or more workers, for the Standing Orders chapter under Section 28 and the Chapter X permission requirement for lay off, retrenchment and closure under Sections 77 to 80
Exempted / special treatment
- Central sphere establishments such as banking, insurance, major ports, mines, oil fields, telecommunications, civil aviation and central public sector undertakings, which follow the Industrial Relations (Central) Rules, 2026 instead
- Establishments that have not received such an order carry no Works Committee obligation
- Establishments below 20 workers are outside this specific obligation, though general grievance handling still applies
- Establishments below the 300 worker threshold follow the simpler Chapter IX notice based process, without needing prior government permission
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to what employers ask us most about this rule.
Q. What is the Industrial Relations (Telangana State) Rules, 2021?
A. It is the set of state level rules that put the central Industrial Relations Code, 2020 into practice in Telangana, covering Works Committees, Grievance Redressal Committees, Standing Orders, notice of change, dispute resolution, strikes and lock outs, lay off, retrenchment, closure, and trade union registration.
Q. Which older rules do these Rules replace?
A. Once finalised, they will operate in place of rules made under the Trade Unions Act, 1926, the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946, and the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, for establishments where Telangana is the appropriate government.
Q. When were these Rules notified?
A. The Labour Employment Training and Factories Department notified them on 29 September 2021, through G.O.Rt.No. 479, as a Preliminary Notification in the Telangana Gazette.
Q. Are these Rules final, or still in draft form?
A. They remain in draft form. As of July 2026, Telangana has not issued a final notification, and only Arunachal Pradesh and Gujarat have finalised state level Industrial Relations rules so far. Employers should verify the current status directly with the Commissioner of Labour, Telangana, before treating any provision as conclusive.
Q. Does every employer in Telangana need to set up a Works Committee?
A. Only employers who receive a specific order from the State Government under Section 3 of the Code. It is not automatic for every establishment the way the Grievance Redressal Committee is for establishments with 20 or more workers.
Q. Can an employer simply adopt the Central Government's Model Standing Orders?
A. Yes. The employer only needs to inform the Certifying Officer of the date from which the Model Standing Orders are being adopted. If the Certifying Officer raises no objection within 30 days, the adoption is deemed complete.
Q. How much advance notice must an employer give before changing service conditions?
A. Rule 17, read with Section 40 of the Code, requires at least 21 days of advance notice for any change covered by the Third Schedule, displayed on the notice board and copied to any registered trade union.
Q. What happens if an employer wants to lay off, retrench, or close down an establishment?
A. Establishments with fewer than 300 workers follow a simpler notice based process under Chapter IX. Establishments meeting the 300 worker threshold must apply for prior government permission under Chapter X, with lay off applications due 15 days ahead, retrenchment applications 60 days ahead, and closure applications 90 days ahead.
Q. What is the Worker Reskilling Fund and who pays for it?
A. It is a fund created under Rule 38 that the employer alone funds. For every retrenched worker, the employer must transfer an amount equal to 15 days of that worker's last drawn wages within 10 days of the retrenchment, which the government then passes on to the worker for reskilling.
Q. Can an employer settle an offence under the Industrial Relations Code instead of going through prosecution?
A. Yes. Rule 39 lets an accused employer apply to the designated compounding officer to compound most fine only offences, generally by depositing the compounding amount within 15 days of the notice, closing the matter without a separate prosecution.
Q. What kind of penalties can an employer face for violations under the Code?
A. Section 86 of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 sets the fines, since the Telangana draft rules do not restate amounts. For example, contravening the lay off, retrenchment or closure permission requirement attracts a fine of 1,00,000 rupees to 10,00,000 rupees for a first offence, rising to 5,00,000 rupees to 20,00,000 rupees or imprisonment up to 6 months for a repeat offence.
Q. Are all the prescribed forms required to be filed electronically?
A. The Rules give electronic filing equal legal standing alongside registered post, speed post, or in person filing for almost every form, so employers can choose whichever channel works best.
Sources
Where every fact on this page comes from.
- → G.O.Rt.No. 479, Labour Employment Training and Factories (Lab I) Department, Government of Telangana, dated 29 September 2021, Preliminary Notification of the Industrial Relations (Telangana State) Rules, 2021. (official)
- → The Industrial Relations Code, 2020 (Central Act No. 35 of 2020), Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India. (official)
- → Industrial Relations (Central) Rules, 2026, notified by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India, on 8 May 2026. (official)
- → Commissioner of Labour, Telangana, official communications and Gazette notifications. (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.