Section 1, Wages Code [S10-MAC]
As at 7 September 2026. In force from 21 November 2025.
1. Short title, extent and commencement.—(1) This Code may be called the Code on Wages, 2019.
(2) It extends to the whole of India.
(3) It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette appoint; and different dates may be appointed for different provisions of this Code and any reference in any such provision to the commencement of this Code shall be construed as a reference to the coming into force of that provision.
Defined terms in this text (1)
wages: Section 2(y), Wages Code: "wages" means all remuneration whether by way of salaries, allowances or otherwise, expressed in terms of money or capable of being so expressed which would, if the terms of employment, express or implied, were fulfilled, be payable to a person employed in respect of his employment or of work done in such employment, and includes, - (i) basic pay; (ii) dearness allowance; and (iii) retaining allowance, if any, but does not include - (a) any bonus payable under any law for the time being in force, which does not form part of the remuneration payable under the terms of employment; (b) the value of any house-accommodation, or of the supply of light, water, medical attendance or other amenity or of any service excluded from the computation of wages by a general or special order of the appropriate Government; (c) any contribution paid by the employer to any pension or provident fund, and the interest which may have accrued thereon; (d) any conveyance allowance or the value of any travelling concession; (e) any sum paid to the employed person to defray special expenses entailed on him by the nature of his employment; (f) house rent allowance; (g) remuneration payable under any award or settlement between the parties or order of a court or Tribunal; (h) any overtime allowance; (i) any commission payable to the employee; (j) any gratuity payable on the termination of employment; (k) any retrenchment compensation or other retirement benefit payable to the employee or any ex gratia payment made to him on the termination of employment: Provided that, for calculating the wages under this clause, if payments made by the employer to the employee under clauses (a) to (i) exceeds one-half, or such other per cent. as may be notified by the Central Government, of the all remuneration calculated under this clause, the amount which exceeds such one-half, or the per cent. so notified, shall be deemed as remuneration and shall be accordingly added in wages under this clause: Provided further that for the purpose of equal wages to all genders and for the purpose of payment of wages, the emoluments specified in clauses (d), (f), (g) and (h) shall be taken for computation of wage. Explanation. - Where an employee is given in lieu of the whole or part of the wages payable to him, any remuneration in kind by his employer, the value of such remuneration in kind which does not exceed fifteen per cent. of the total wages payable to him, shall be deemed to form part of the wages of such employee;
wages: 12 more definitions.
Made under this section, or naming it (1)
Notification S.O. 5322(E): commencement of provisions of the Code on Wages, 2019 [N11-70F], 21 November 2025, in force. Recital: "In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (3) of section 1 of the Code on Wages, 2019 (29 of 2019), the Central Government hereby appoints the 21st day of November, 2025 as the date on which the following provisions of the said Code, shall come into force [...]"
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