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ARTICLE · 14 MAY 2026

Services Sector Employment Rules Take Shape: Model Standing Orders, 2026 Under The Industrial Relations Code, 2020

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On May 8, 2026, the Ministry of Labour and Employment notified the Model Standing Orders, 2026 (“Model Standing Orders 2026”) under Section 29(1) of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 (“IR Code”). The notification supersedes the earlier Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Central Rules, 1946 insofar as they related to model standing orders, and prescribes separate model standing orders for the mining, manufacturing and services sectors.

IndiaEmployment and HR
Preetha Soman
Preetha Soman
Rebecca Thomas
Rebecca Thomas
Tia Matthew
Tia Matthew
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On May 8, 2026, the Ministry of Labour and Employment notified the Model Standing Orders, 2026 (“Model Standing Orders 2026”) under Section 29(1) of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 (“IR Code”). The notification supersedes the earlier Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Central Rules, 1946 insofar as they related to model standing orders, and prescribes separate model standing orders for the mining, manufacturing and services sectors.

The standing orders framework has historically been associated with traditional industrial establishments such as factories and mines. The notification of a dedicated services-sector model is therefore an important acknowledgement that modern workplace governance now extends to office-based, technology-enabled, hybrid and client-facing businesses.

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