Rule 6 explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Rule 6 says no employee shall be employed in any establishment unless an appointment letter has been issued in the format the rule sets out. The format has sixteen items, from the employee's name and date of birth to the benefits available under the Code on Social Security, 2020.
Rule 6 works with section 6(1)(f) of the OSH Code. No employee may be employed in any establishment without an appointment letter in the prescribed format. The letter carries 16 items, including employment type, skill category, wages, social security applicability and the broad nature of duties. It is signed by the employer, by signature or digital signature. Aadhaar can be entered only after obtaining consent.
The source of the duty
Section 6(1)(f) of the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (the OSH Code) requires every employer to issue a letter of appointment to every employee on appointment, with such information and in such form as the appropriate Government prescribes. The Code adds a transition rule: where an employee had not been issued a letter on or before the commencement of the Code, the employer had to issue one within three months of that commencement. Section 133, the appropriate Government's rule-making power, lists the information to be included in the letter and its form among the matters for rules. Rule 6 is the Central Rules' answer. See our section 6 explainer for the wider list of employer duties.
The Central Rules apply where the Central Government is the appropriate Government. Where the State Government is the appropriate Government, the State's own OSH rules apply and the format may differ. A business with establishments in several States should check each regime; our employment and labour law advisory team does this kind of mapping.
What rule 6 says
The rule is one sentence plus a format. "No employee shall be employed in any establishment unless an appointment letter has been issued to such employee in the format given below." Note the wording: the rule is framed as a bar on employment, not merely as a paperwork requirement. It applies to every establishment covered by the Central Rules and every employee, whether regular, fixed-term or contractual, because the format itself has a field for the type of employment.
The 16-item format
| No. | Item in the format |
|---|---|
| (i) | Name of employee |
| (ii) | Date of birth |
| (iii) | Father's / Mother's name |
| (iv) | Aadhaar number (after obtaining consent) |
| (v) | Labour Identification Number of the establishment |
| (vi) | Universal Account Number and / or Insurance Number (if available) |
| (vii) | Designation |
| (viii) | Type of employment (Regular / Fixed-term employment / Contractual) |
| (ix) | Category of skill |
| (x) | Date of joining |
| (xi) | Wages / Basic / Pay and Dearness Allowance |
| (xii) | Other allowance including accommodation, whichever is/are applicable |
| (xiii) | Applicability of social security (Employees' Provident Fund Organisation and Employees' State Insurance Corporation) benefits |
| (xiv) | Broad nature of duties to be performed |
| (xv) | Benefits available under Chapter VI (Maternity Benefit) of the Code on Social Security, 2020 (36 of 2020), in case of a woman employee |
| (xvi) | Any other information |
The format ends with the signature, or digital signature, of the employer.
Reading the fields
Aadhaar only with consent. Item (iv) carries the words "after obtaining consent". An employer cannot insist on the Aadhaar number as a condition of issuing the letter under this rule. Record the consent, for example by a line in the joining form.
Labour Identification Number. Item (v) asks for the Labour Identification Number of the establishment. This links to the registration process in rule 3; see our rule 3 explainer. An establishment that has not yet registered will not have the number to write.
UAN or insurance number "if available". Item (vi) accepts a Universal Account Number and/or an Insurance Number if the employee has one. A first-time employee may have neither at the time of joining; write "not available" and update the record later.
Type of employment and skill. Item (viii) offers three choices: regular, fixed-term employment or contractual. Item (ix) asks for the category of skill. The rule does not list the categories; use the category that matches your wage notification and payroll records, and keep them consistent.
Wages and allowances. Item (xi) uses the words "Wages/Basic/Pay and Dearness Allowance". Item (xii) asks for other allowances, including accommodation where applicable. The OSH Code has its own definition of "wages" (section 2(1)(zzj)); do not assume it equals another Code's definition when you describe pay components.
Social security and maternity. Item (xiii) asks whether the employee is covered by the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation and the Employees' State Insurance Corporation benefits. Item (xv), for women employees, refers to Chapter VI (Maternity Benefit) of the Code on Social Security, 2020. The OSH Rules do not restate those benefits; the letter need only indicate what is available under that Chapter.
Signature: physical or digital
The letter is signed, or digitally signed, by the employer. Rule 6 does not say who within a company signs; the practical answer is an authorised signatory with authority under the company's board resolution or delegation. Keep a signed copy, or the digitally signed file, in the personnel record. The rule does not prescribe a retention period and does not say the employee must countersign.
What the rule does not say
The text does not prescribe a penalty in rule 6 itself. Penalties for contravening the Code, rules, regulations or orders sit in the Code's penalty provisions, covered in our section 94 explainer. The rule also does not say what happens to an employee already working without a letter; the Code's three-month transition applied at commencement, and new hires are now caught by the bar in rule 6.
Practical examples
Example 1. A staffing contractor places 40 workers at a client's warehouse. Each worker needs a letter in the rule 6 format with "Contractual" ticked in item (viii), the establishment's Labour Identification Number in item (v) and the duties described broadly in item (xiv). Clarify in the contract which entity, contractor or principal employer, issues it; read the Code's definitions of the two before you decide.
Example 2. A manufacturer's old letter template has no field for skill category or social security applicability. HR replaces the template with the sixteen items and adds an Aadhaar consent line. Existing staff are given updated letters as the compliance review reaches each unit.
Need help with appointment letters and HR documentation?
Converting old offer letters into the rule 6 format across locations and employee classes takes planning. Our employment and labour law advisory service can review your templates, joining forms and records against the Code and the Central Rules, and flag where a State's rules may differ.
Key takeaways
- Rule 6 bars employment of any employee without an appointment letter in the prescribed format.
- The format has sixteen items and ends with the employer's signature or digital signature.
- Aadhaar goes in only after obtaining consent.
- UAN or insurance number is entered "if available".
- Item (xv) refers to Chapter VI of the Code on Social Security, 2020 for women employees.
- State rules apply where the State is the appropriate Government.
Read next
- Section 6 of the OSH Code: duties of employer
- Rule 3: application for registration of establishment
- Rule 5: annual health examination of employees
- 4 New Labour Codes 2020: complete guide
Disclaimer: Based on the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (as enacted) and, where noted, the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (Central) Rules, 2026 (G.S.R. 345(E), 8 May 2026), as on 30 September 2026. The Code is in force from 21 November 2025; some provisions may be notified later, and State Governments make their own rules for establishments where the State is the appropriate Government. Verify the current position before acting.