Labour and employment law covers wrongful or unfair termination, unpaid wages and dues, workplace harassment, gratuity and provident fund disputes, and broader industrial disputes between workers and employers. The area is currently in transition: long-standing statutes like the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, the Payment of Wages Act, 1936, and the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 are being consolidated into four new Labour Codes — the Code on Wages, the Industrial Relations Code, the Code on Social Security, and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code — which are being rolled out in phases across states.
Workplace sexual harassment is dealt with separately under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH), which requires every employer above a certain size to have an Internal Committee to receive and investigate complaints. Disputes over termination or non-payment typically start with an internal grievance or a complaint to the local Labour Commissioner for conciliation, and if unresolved, proceed to a Labour Court or Industrial Tribunal.
Whether you're an employee facing termination, unpaid dues, or harassment, or an employer navigating a dispute, timing matters — many claims have to be raised within a specific window, and the right first step (internal complaint, Labour Commissioner, or direct litigation) depends on the specific facts.