Section 31 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.
Section 31 of the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (the OSH Code) requires every establishment to display and correctly maintain a notice of periods of work showing, for every day, when workers may be required to work. It also controls how the notice may be changed.
Every establishment must display and correctly maintain a notice of periods of work, showing clearly for every day the periods during which workers may be required to work (section 31(1)). The form, the manner of display and the manner of sending it to the Inspector-cum-Facilitator are prescribed (31(2)). A proposed change in the system of work that needs a change in the notice must be intimated to the Inspector-cum-Facilitator before the change, and, without the Inspector's previous sanction, no change may be made until one week has passed since the last change (31(3)).
The three sub-sections
| Sub-section | What it requires |
|---|---|
| 31(1) | A notice of periods of work, displayed and correctly maintained in every establishment, showing clearly for every day the periods during which workers may be required to work, in accordance with the Code |
| 31(2) | Form of notice, manner of display and manner of sending it to the Inspector-cum-Facilitator as prescribed by the appropriate Government |
| 31(3) | Intimate a proposed change in the system of work to the Inspector-cum-Facilitator before making it; no change except with previous sanction until one week has elapsed since the last change |
What "correctly maintained" means
The notice must match how the establishment actually works. A notice that shows one set of hours on the wall while the roster runs another does not meet the section. The notice should cover every day, which includes the weekly holiday and any day with shorter hours, so it links with section 26 on weekly holidays and section 25 on daily and weekly hours.
Changing the system of work: 31(3) in steps
- The employer proposes a change in the system of work that would require the notice to change, for example moving from one shift pattern to another.
- The employer intimates the Inspector-cum-Facilitator before the change is made.
- If less than one week has passed since the last change, the employer needs the Inspector-cum-Facilitator's previous sanction before changing again.
- After the change, the notice is corrected so it again matches the system of work.
The text reads "no such change shall be made until one week has elapsed since that last change", which stops frequent switching of systems unless the Inspector-cum-Facilitator agrees. Employers who change rosters often can get the notice and intimation process reviewed through our labour law compliance service.
What the Central Rules, 2026 prescribe (Rule 71)
Where the Central Government is the appropriate Government, Rule 71 of the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (Central) Rules, 2026 (G.S.R. 345(E), 8 May 2026) says the notice under section 31(2):
- shall be displayed at conspicuous places on a notice board or electronic board of the establishment;
- shall be maintained in FORM-XII; and
- a copy of the notice shall be sent to the Inspector-cum-Facilitator electronically or by speed post.
Where a State Government is the appropriate Government, the State's own rules fix the form and manner. Rule 73 separately requires notices at conspicuous places showing, among other things, the hours of work and wage period, in English or Hindi and in the local language; see our article on Rules 73 and 74. Compensatory holiday notices under Rule 68 are to be displayed at the place where the notice of periods of work is displayed, as covered in Rules 67 and 68.
For the rule-by-rule treatment, see Rules 70 and 71, and for the form, our article on Forms XI and XII.
Practical points
- One master notice. Keep the notice of periods of work as the single reference document for hours, and align the roster, the attendance register and payroll to it.
- Electronic boards. Rule 71 allows an electronic board. Keep a dated print or screenshot of each version you display.
- Send the copy. Sending the copy to the Inspector-cum-Facilitator is part of the duty, not an optional step. Keep the speed-post receipt or the electronic acknowledgment.
- Plan changes. Because a further change within a week needs previous sanction, plan shift changes in advance and do not revise the system repeatedly.
- Shifts past midnight. Show them clearly; section 28 explains how post-midnight hours are counted, see sections 27 and 28.
Example. A warehouse moves from a single day shift to two shifts. Before the change it sends the Inspector-cum-Facilitator the intimation, prepares the revised notice in Form XII for each day, displays it on the notice board and sends a copy electronically. Three days later management wants to alter the timings again. Because one week has not elapsed since the last change, it must first obtain the Inspector-cum-Facilitator's previous sanction.
Need help with work-timing notices?
Wrong or stale notices are among the easiest findings in an inspection. Our labour law compliance team can check your notice against the Code and the rules, and set up a routine for intimating changes and sending copies on time.
Key takeaways
- Every establishment must display and correctly maintain a notice of periods of work for every day.
- A proposed change must be intimated to the Inspector-cum-Facilitator before it is made.
- No further change within one week of the last, except with previous sanction.
- Central Rules: Rule 71, Form XII, notice board or electronic board, copy to the Inspector-cum-Facilitator electronically or by speed post.
Read next
- Sections 29 and 30: overlapping shifts and double employment
- Section 32: annual leave with wages
- Rules 70 and 71: double employment in mines and notice of periods of work
- Forms XI and XII: accident notice and notice of periods of work
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.