The Government of Uttar Pradesh has notified the final Uttar Pradesh Code on Wages Rules, 2026 vide Notification No. 1377/XXXVI-03-2026-1901341 dated 12 August 2026. The Rules have been framed under the Code on Wages, 2019 after considering objections/suggestions received on the draft Rules. They replace the earlier U.P. Payment of Wages Rules, 1936, U.P. Minimum Wages Rules, 1952 and U.P. Code on Wages Rules, 2021, subject to savings for past actions.
Key highlights for employers:
Applicability: Extends to the whole of Uttar Pradesh and comes into force from the date of publication in the Official Gazette, i.e. 12 August 2026.
Minimum Wages: Daily minimum wage is the base; hourly rate is calculated by dividing the daily rate by 8, while the monthly rate is calculated by multiplying the daily rate by 26.
Skill Classification: Employees/occupations may be classified as Unskilled, Semi-skilled, Skilled and Highly Skilled, also considering geographical area and nature/difficulty of work.
Working Hours: Normally 8 hours per day, with total weekly working hours not exceeding 48 hours.
Weekly Rest: Employees are entitled to weekly rest day(s), subject to the prescribed conditions and provisions for substituted rest where work is taken on the rest day.
Registers: Employers must maintain Form I – Register of Wages, Overtime, Fines and Deductions, Form II – Employee Register, and the prescribed nomination records. Registers may be maintained physically or electronically and must be preserved for 5 years.
Wage Slip: Every employee must be provided a wage slip in Form IX, physically or electronically, on or before payment of wages.
Display requirements: Establishments must prominently display minimum wage rates, weekly rest, working hours, overtime, wage-payment date, wage period and details of the Inspector-cum-Facilitator/Authority.
Annual Return: To be filed electronically in the relevant form prescribed under the OSH & WC Rules.
Contract Labour – Bonus: Where a contractor fails to pay the statutory minimum bonus, the principal employer may be required to make the payment and recover it from the contractor, subject to the prescribed process.
Inspection: The Rules provide for an inspection scheme and confer powers on the Inspector-cum-Facilitator to inspect registers, wage records and notices, obtain information and take copies of relevant records.
Compliance takeaway: Employers in Uttar Pradesh should now review their minimum wage implementation, working-hour practices, payroll registers, wage slips, deductions, display notices, bonus compliance and electronic records/returns in line with these final Rules.