Notification Record & Forms
Notification details and the forms every employer needs, in one place.
- Issuing authority
- Labour, Employment, Training & Factories (LAB-I) Department, Government of Telangana
- Notified
- G.O.Rt.No. 480, dated 29 September 2021; published in an extraordinary issue of the Telangana Gazette on 30 September 2021
- Objection window
- 45 days from the date the Gazette copies were made available to the public (this 2021 window has long closed)
- Legal basis
- Section 67 of the Code on Wages, 2019 (Central Act No. 29 of 2019), read with Section 24 of the General Clauses Act, 1897
- Supersedes
- State rules earlier framed under the Payment of Wages Act, 1936; the Minimum Wages Act, 1948; the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965; and the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 — all repealed centrally under Section 69 of the Code on Wages
- Status as of August 2026
- Originally a preliminary/draft notification. The Code on Wages, 2019 itself came into force across India on 21 November 2025, and the Centre notified the final Code on Wages (Central) Rules, 2026 on 8 May 2026. Telangana continues to issue minimum-wage revisions that reference the Code on Wages, but a confirmed final version of the state-specific Code on Wages (Telangana) Rules could not be located at the time of writing — always verify the current position with the Telangana Labour Department before using this as a compliance document
In September 2021, the Telangana government released the draft rules meant to operate the Code on Wages, 2019 within the state. These rules touch nearly every employer in Telangana — how minimum wages are calculated, how bonuses are worked out, what records must be kept, and how equal-pay disputes are resolved. This guide walks through the notification (G.O.Rt.No. 480, dated 29 September 2021) in plain language: the forms employers must fill, the compliance deadlines, what each major rule actually says, how the new framework compares with the four older labour laws it replaces, who is covered, where to find the original notification, and answers to the questions employers and HR teams ask most often.
A note on status: this was issued as a draft, open to objections and suggestions from the public. Labour law — at both the central and Telangana level — has moved a great deal since 2021, so this guide flags where the current position differs from the 2021 draft and points you to where you can verify it.
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 the date wages are paid |
| Update wages / overtime / fine / deduction register | Form I | Ongoing | Updated every wage period |
| Update employee register | Form IV | Ongoing | Updated on joining, exit, or change of details |
| Report a deduction (e.g., for absence) to the Inspector-cum-Facilitator | Per deduction | Within 10 days of the deduction | |
| Explain a damage/loss deduction to the employee | Per deduction | Within 15 days of the deduction | |
| Recompute Dearness Allowance | Twice yearly | Before 1 April (for Jul-Dec) and before 1 October (for Jan-Jun) | |
| Review/revise minimum wages | Periodic | At intervals not exceeding 5 years | |
| Deposit undisbursed wages after an employee's death | Case-by-case | After 3 months from the date payment fell due, if the nominee remains unpaid | |
| Deposit other undisbursed dues | Case-by-case | Before the 15th day after the 6-month period from the due date expires | |
| Submit public objections/suggestions on this draft | One-time (2021) | Within 45 days of Gazette copies being made public — window now closed |
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 laws | Four separate laws: Payment of Wages Act 1936, Minimum Wages Act 1948, Payment of Bonus Act 1965, Equal Remuneration Act 1976 | One consolidated Code on Wages, 2019, operationalised in Telangana through these state rules |
| Coverage of minimum wage | Applied only to 'scheduled employments' specifically notified by the government | Every employment is covered — the schedule-based limitation is removed |
| Wage-ceiling protection | Timely-payment protection under the Payment of Wages Act applied only below a notified salary ceiling | No salary ceiling — timely-payment protection now covers all employees |
| Floor wage | No statutory floor wage existed | A National Floor Wage anchors state minimum wages; the state may also notify area-specific floor wages |
| Inspecting officer | 'Inspector', focused mainly on enforcement | 'Inspector-cum-Facilitator' — combines an advisory role with inspection duties, working to an approved inspection scheme |
| Equal-pay enforcement | Separate Equal Remuneration Act, with its own authority | Folded into the Code on Wages; Rule 27A creates a dedicated labour-department authority (with appeal to the Commissioner of Labour) |
| Definition of 'wages' | Defined differently across the four separate acts, causing overlaps and gaps | One uniform definition applies for minimum wage, bonus, and equal-pay purposes |
| Records and registers | Multiple registers required under different acts, in different formats | Consolidated into Form I (wages/OT/fine/deduction) and Form IV (employee register), with an electronic option |
| Offence compounding | Composition provisions and rates varied by law | A uniform process — many first-time compoundable offences can be settled for 50% of the maximum fine (Rule 54) |
| Advisory machinery | Separate boards/committees existed under different acts | A single State Advisory Board handles wage-related advisory functions, with mandatory one-third women representation |
Applicability
Who the Code covers, and who gets special or exempt treatment.
Covered
- All employees and workers in any establishment, industry, trade or business in Telangana — organised and unorganised sector alike
- Both scheduled and non-scheduled employments (the old 'notified schedule' limitation is removed)
- Employees paid on a monthly, weekly, daily, or piece-rate basis
- Contract labour — the principal employer is made responsible if the contractor defaults on wages or minimum bonus (Rules 55-56)
- Agricultural workers, though the normal working-hour rules can be modified for them (Rule 6(3))
Exempted / special treatment
- Working journalists and sales promotion employees — the State Advisory Board separately advises on their minimum wages (Rule 29), reflecting their distinct service laws
- Employees under a piece-rate system — rest-day wages are calculated differently (Rule 7(4))
- An employee not otherwise entitled to a full day's wage under another law is not automatically guaranteed one under Rule 12
- Apprentices engaged under the Apprentices Act, 1961 fall outside the Code's definition of 'worker'
- Establishments already governed by the Factories Act, 1948 continue to follow that Act's specific working-hour safeguards alongside these rules (Rule 6(4))
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to what employers ask us most about this rule.
What is the Code on Wages (Telangana State) Rules, 2021?
It is the draft state-level rulebook Telangana proposed for operating the central Code on Wages, 2019 within the state. It was issued through G.O.Rt.No. 480 on 29 September 2021 as a preliminary notification, open for public objections and suggestions.
Is this notification legally in force today?
Not as a final rulebook — it was released as a draft. The underlying Code on Wages, 2019 came into force nationally on 21 November 2025, and Telangana has since issued minimum-wage notifications that reference the Code. Confirm the current, finalised state rules with the Telangana Labour Department before relying on this document for compliance.
Which older laws does the Code on Wages replace in Telangana?
It replaces state rules earlier framed under the Payment of Wages Act 1936, the Minimum Wages Act 1948, the Payment of Bonus Act 1965, and the Equal Remuneration Act 1976. All four are repealed centrally under Section 69 of the Code on Wages.
How is the minimum wage calculated, and converted into hourly or monthly rates?
Rule 3 builds the daily minimum wage from a fixed formula covering food, clothing, housing, fuel and contingencies for a standard family. Once the daily rate is fixed, it's divided by 8 for the hourly rate and multiplied by 26 for the monthly rate, rounding fractions of half or more upward.
How often will minimum wages be revised?
At least once every five years under Rule 4, though in practice the state revises rates more often through periodic Dearness Allowance and Consumer Price Index-linked notifications.
What counts as a 'normal working day' under these rules?
Eight hours of work plus up to one hour of rest breaks, with the total day — including rest — not spreading over more than 12 hours (Rule 6).
Do employees get a weekly day off?
Yes — ordinarily Sunday, though an employer may fix a different day. An employee cannot be made to work more than 10 consecutive days without a rest day, and must be given a substituted rest day if asked to work on the usual one (Rule 7).
What records must an employer maintain, and in what form?
Mainly Form I (wages, overtime, fines and deductions) and Form IV (employee register), plus Form V wage slips issued to each employee. All three registers can be kept electronically or on paper (Rules 51-52).
When must a wage slip be issued?
On or before the date wages are paid, for every wage period (Rule 52, Form V).
Is there a cap on how much can be deducted from an employee's wages?
Yes. If authorised deductions exceed 50% of wages in a period, the excess rolls over to future periods — but the total deducted in any single month still cannot cross 50% of that month's wages (Rule 13).
Who decides disputes about 'equal pay for equal work'?
A dedicated authority made up of the Joint Commissioner, the Zonal Joint Commissioner, the Deputy Commissioner, and the Assistant Commissioner of Labour, with appeals heard by the Commissioner of Labour (Rule 27A).
What is the State Advisory Board, and who sits on it?
A tripartite body that advises the government on wage-fixation and related issues. It includes equal numbers of employer and employee representatives (four each) plus independent members — such as a legislator and wage/labour experts — with at least one-third women (Rules 28-31).
What happens to wages that can't be paid because an employee has died or gone missing?
If the amount stays unpaid for 3 months (nominee cases) or 6 months (other cases), the employer must deposit it with the jurisdictional labour officer, who publicises the claim and later releases it. Amounts still unclaimed after 7 years go to the Telangana Labour Welfare Board (Rules 46-48).
If an employer commits an offence under the Code, is prosecution the only option?
Not always. Many offences are compoundable — a first-time offender can apply in Form VI, and a notified Gazetted Officer can settle the matter for 50% of the maximum fine instead of continuing prosecution (Rule 54).
Where can I check the most current, official status of these rules?
The Telangana Labour Department's official website and the Telangana Gazette are the authoritative sources. Always cross-check any secondary summary — including this one — against the latest government notification before making compliance decisions.
Sources
Where every fact on this page comes from.
- → Government of Telangana, Labour Employment Training & Factories (Lab-I) Department, G.O.Rt.No. 480, dated 29 September 2021 — Preliminary Notification, Code on Wages (Telangana State) Rules, 2021 (official)
- → The Code on Wages, 2019 (Central Act No. 29 of 2019), Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India (official)
- → Code on Wages (Central) Rules, 2020, and the later Code on Wages (Central) Rules, 2026 — referenced for the bonus-computation schedules and subsequent central rule-making (official)
- → Government of India notification bringing the Code on Wages, 2019 into force nationally with effect from 21 November 2025 (official)
- → Telangana Labour Department (labour.telangana.gov.in) — for the latest state notifications and minimum-wage circulars (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.