SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has proposed a comprehensive overhaul of workplace regulations through the draft Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (Jammu and Kashmir) Rules, 2026, seeking to align labour practices with the central code while strengthening safety and compliance mechanisms across sectors.
The draft introduces a mandatory online registration system for all establishments, with graded fees based on workforce strength. Registration certificates will be issued electronically and must be displayed at workplaces, marking a shift towards digital compliance and transparency in labour administration.
A key highlight of the proposed framework is the cap on working hours, fixing the daily limit for adult workers at eight hours, with mandatory rest intervals and a maximum spread-over of 12 hours. Overtime provisions have also been defined to regulate excessive working hours and ensure worker welfare.
The rules make it compulsory for employers to issue formal appointment letters detailing wages, designation, working hours and social security benefits, aimed at curbing informal employment practices and ensuring accountability. Employers will also be required to maintain digital records and ensure coverage under welfare schemes such as EPFO and ESIC, wherever applicable.
In a significant push for workplace safety, the draft mandates periodic medical examinations, reporting of accidents and hazardous occurrences, and implementation of preventive safety measures, especially in high-risk industries. Specific provisions have also been included for women workers, contract labour and inter-state migrant workers to ensure protection and equitable working conditions.
The draft rules introduce a graded registration fee structure linked to the size of the workforce. Establishments employing between 10 and 19 workers will be required to pay a registration fee of ₹2,000, while those with 20 to 49 workers will pay ₹3,000.
For medium-sized establishments, the fee increases progressively. Units employing 50 to 99 workers will be charged ₹5,000, whereas those with a workforce of 100 to 149 workers will pay ₹7,000. Establishments employing between 150 and 199 workers will have to deposit ₹10,000 as registration fee.
Larger establishments will face higher slabs under the proposed framework. Units employing 200 to 499 workers will pay ₹15,000, while those with 500 to 999 workers will be charged ₹20,000. Establishments employing 1,000 or more workers will be required to pay the highest registration fee of ₹30,000.
Every employer of factory, building and other construction work and motor transport undertakings shall arrange to conduct free of cost medical examination for every worker annually L e. within 120 days from the commencement of every calendar year who has completed 45 years of age. The medical examination shall be conducted by a qualified medical practitioner as per proforma in Form-V and such medical certificate shall be submitted to the concerned employer and employee.
Adequate care shall be taken by the architect, project engineer and other professionals involved in the project referred to in sub-section (1), not to include anything in the design which would Involve the use of dangerous structures or other processes or materials, hazardous to health or safety of building workers and employees during the course of erection, operation and execution as the case may be.
The government has invited objections and suggestions from stakeholders within 45 days, after which the final rules will be notified, signalling a major step towards modernising labour governance in Jammu and Kashmir.
