The Centre has finalized rules under all four labour codes and is likely to notify them shortly, paving the way for implementation as early as April, according to officials. The rules, covering the Code on Wages, Code on Social Security, Industrial Relations Code and Occupational Safety Health and Working Conditions Code, have been finalized by the labour and employment ministry and are awaiting vetting by the law ministry before formal notification, a report by The Economic Times said. Together, the four codes aim to streamline India's labour regulatory framework by consolidating 44 central labour laws into a simplified structure of 29 provisions.

The Centre had earlier notified the codes in November and subsequently placed draft rules in the public domain for consultation, with feedback received until January. Officials said the ministry has since incorporated stakeholder inputs to finalize the rules applicable in the central sphere.

Once implemented, the codes are expected to introduce a range of changes, including expanded social security coverage for unorganized workers, mandatory health check-ups for employees above 40 years of age, and statutory minimum wages across sectors. The new framework also caps working hours at 8-12 hours per day, with a maximum of 48 hours per week, and provides for bonus eligibility after 30 days of work in a year. In a significant shift, women will be allowed to work night shifts and across all categories of employment, subject to their consent and adequate safety provisions by employers, relaxing earlier restrictions on working hours and roles. Additionally, coverage under the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) will be mandatory for establishments employing even a single worker in hazardous occupations, while remaining voluntary for firms with fewer than 10 employees in non-hazardous sectors. The rollout of the labour codes marks one of the most sweeping reforms of India's labour laws in decades, aimed at balancing worker welfare with ease of doing business.