---
title: "HR and Payroll Law Guides for Small Teams | LekhaHR"
description: "Plain guides to the Indian HR and payroll rule changes that affect small teams, newest first, each dated with the day the rule took effect."
canonical: https://lekhahr.in/guides/
last_updated: 2026-09-30
---
Dated log · newest first · updated 30 Sep 2026

# Rule changes, dated and explained.

One guide for each change that moves a payslip, a register or a deadline for a small team. Each row carries the day the rule took effect.

because since the Labour Codes came into force on 21 Nov 2025, the date a rule started matters as much as the rule.

1. ## [EPF wage ceiling ₹25,000 from 17 Sep 2026](https://lekhahr.in/guides/epf-wage-ceiling-25000/)
   Guide · calculator In force from 17 Sep 2026
   because September 2026 splits on calendar days between two ceilings, and the one return for it has to be right the first time
   [Read the guide](https://lekhahr.in/guides/epf-wage-ceiling-25000/)
2. ## [New labour codes: an HR checklist by headcount](https://lekhahr.in/guides/labour-codes-hr-checklist/)
   Guide · checklist In force from 21 Nov 2025
   because the four Codes changed what counts as wages and which duties start at 1, 10, 20 and 50 people
   [Read the guide](https://lekhahr.in/guides/labour-codes-hr-checklist/)
3. ## [Full and final settlement: wages within 2 working days](https://lekhahr.in/guides/full-and-final-settlement/)
   Guide · format In force from 21 Nov 2025
   because the Code on Wages set a legal date for the last payment, and gratuity and the PF balance run on their own clocks
   [Read the guide](https://lekhahr.in/guides/full-and-final-settlement/)

No. 02

The Codes

---

because every guide on this page starts from that date.

## When did the new labour codes come into force?

On 21 Nov 2025. All four Labour Codes (Wages, Industrial Relations, Social Security, and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions) took effect that day and replaced 29 central labour laws. The Central Rules under them were notified on 8 May 2026. State rules follow separately, so check your state's position.

No. 03

Also free

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because a guide explains the rule, and a sheet shows it applied.

## Templates and calculators for the same rules.

The templates show a whole month filled in; the tools return one result with its working.

[See the templates](https://lekhahr.in/resources/) [See the tools](https://lekhahr.in/tools/)

Choosing software instead? Compare [HR software pricing in India](https://lekhahr.in/hr-software-pricing-india/), and see [the best HR software in India for small teams](https://lekhahr.in/best-hr-software-india/).

Four Labour Codes in force · in force 21 Nov 2025 · checked by the LekhaHR team, 30 Sep 2026

[Request an invite](https://lekhahr.in/request-invite/)

No. 04

Questions

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because a dated guide should say how it stays dated.

## Questions about the guides.

### What changed in Indian payroll law in 2026?

Four changes matter most: the EPF wage ceiling rose to ₹25,000 a month from 17 Sep 2026; the EPF, EPS and EDLI Schemes, 2026 came into force on 1 Jul 2026; the Central Rules under the Labour Codes were notified on 8 May 2026; and from 1 Apr 2026, Form 16 became Form 130 under the Income-tax Act, 2025.

### Are the new labour codes in force?

Yes. All four Labour Codes (Wages, Industrial Relations, Social Security, and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions) have been in force since 21 Nov 2025, replacing 29 central labour laws. The Central Rules followed on 8 May 2026; state rules follow separately.

### How are these guides kept current?

Each guide is dated with the day the rule took effect and the day we last checked it, and cites the notification or rule it relies on. When a rule changes, the guide is updated, and this page lists the guides newest first by the date the rule took effect.

### Who checks the guides?

They are checked by the LekhaHR team against the official source for each rule where one is published. Each guide lists its sources, marked primary or secondary, with the date we read them, so you can see what an answer rests on.

### Is this legal advice?

No. The guides explain the rules as notified, with dates and sources, for small employers. State rules, your contracts and your facts can change the answer, so confirm anything that affects a payment or a filing with your adviser.