Rules 2026 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.
Rules 8 to 13 of the Uttar Pradesh Code on Wages Rules, 2026 turn sections 10, 13 and 14 of the Code on Wages, 2019 into working practice: who is paid for a full day, what a normal working day is, how a weekly rest day and a substituted rest day are paid, how a night shift is counted and how long a wage period may be.
Rule 9 fixes a normal working day at eight hours for daily-wage employees and a total of forty-eight weekly hours for others. Rule 10 gives a weekly rest day, ordinarily Sunday in a six-day week, and requires advance notice of the days fixed. Work on a rest day needs a substituted rest day and no more than ten consecutive days without a whole-day rest. Rule 13 says the wage period shall not be more than a month.
The rule set
This article covers the Uttar Pradesh Code on Wages Rules, 2026, as notified by notification no. 1377/XXXVI-03-2026-1901341 dated 12 August 2026 (Uttar Pradesh Extraordinary Gazette, 12 August 2026). Later amendments and State notifications under these rules should be checked in the State Gazette. Rule 1(3) brings the rules into force "from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette". The notification and the minimum wage method are covered in our first article on these rules.
The Central rules on the same subjects are explained in rules 4 and 5, rule 6 and rules 7 to 9 of those rules. What follows is what Uttar Pradesh prints, and it is the part a payroll compliance audit usually tests first.
Rule 8: part-time employees
Under rule 8, an employee is not entitled to wages for a full normal working day under section 10 where the employee has agreed to work part time as per the terms of employment, or is not entitled to such wage under any other labour law for the time being in force. A payroll head should therefore keep the part-time term in the appointment letter, because the rule turns on what was agreed.
Rule 9: the normal working day
Rule 9(1): for an employee whose wage period is daily, the normal working day is eight hours, and the interval for rest follows the notification issued under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020. Rule 9(2): for an employee whose wage period is other than daily, the normal working day is to be fixed so that the total weekly working hours do not exceed forty-eight hours. Our companion article on the State's OSH hours rules is Uttar Pradesh OSH rules: hours of work, overtime, leave and women.
Rule 10: the weekly rest day
Rule 10(1) gives an employee rest for one day or more every week. In a six-day week the rest day is ordinarily Sunday; in a week of less than six days it shall include Saturday and Sunday. The employer may fix other days as rest days for any employee or class of employees. The provisos add three conditions:
- the remaining days of the week are paid rest days for these employees;
- the employee is entitled to rest days only if the employee has worked for the same employer for a continuous period of not less than six days in a six-day week, or the stipulated number of working days in a shorter week; and
- the employee must be told of the rest days, and of any later change before it takes effect, by a notice at a conspicuous place in the place of employment or electronically.
The Explanation to rule 10(1) says three kinds of day count as worked days for the continuous period: a day on which the employee must attend but is given only an attendance allowance and no work; a day of lay-off on compensation under the Industrial Relations Code, 2020; and any leave or holiday, with or without pay, in the six days or stipulated working days immediately before the rest days. "Week" means seven days beginning at midnight on Saturday night.
Substituted rest days and their pay
Rule 10(2) bars work on a rest day unless the employee has a substituted whole-day rest on one of the working days in the week immediately before or after the rest day. The proviso says no substitution may result in the employee working for more than ten days consecutively without a whole-day rest. Rule 10(3) counts the rest day, for weekly hours, in the week where the substituted rest day falls.
Rule 10(4) sets the pay. A rest day is paid at the rate applicable to the previous working day. Where the employee works on the rest day and is given a substituted rest day, the employee is paid for the rest day worked at the overtime rate and for the substituted rest day at the rate of the previous working day. In a six-day week where the minimum or actual daily rate was worked out by dividing the monthly rate by twenty-six, no wages for the rest day are payable, and an employee who works on the rest day and gets a substituted rest day is paid only for the rest day worked, at the overtime rate, which shall not be less than twice the normal rate of wages. A dispute on whether the daily rate was worked out correctly may be decided by the Labour Commissioner, Uttar Pradesh or the Additional/Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner having territorial jurisdiction, after the parties are allowed written representations. A piece-rate employee is paid for the rest day worked at the overtime rate and for the substituted rest day at the rate of the previous working day.
Rule 10(5) protects more favourable terms under any other law, award, agreement or contract of service.
| Situation | Rule | What the text prints |
|---|---|---|
| Six-day week rest day | 10(1) | Ordinarily Sunday |
| Less than six-day week | 10(1) | Rest days include Saturday and Sunday |
| Notice of rest days and changes | 10(1), third proviso | Notice at a conspicuous place or electronically, before the change |
| Work on rest day | 10(2) | Needs a substituted whole-day rest in the week before or after |
| Ceiling without rest | 10(2) proviso | Not more than ten days consecutively |
| Pay for rest day worked | 10(4) | Overtime rate; not less than twice the normal rate in the monthly-divided-by-twenty-six case |
Rule 11: night shifts
Where a shift extends beyond midnight, rule 11 says a rest day for the whole day under rule 10 means twenty-four consecutive hours from the time the shift ends, and the following day is the twenty-four hours beginning when the shift ends. Hours after midnight worked in that shift count towards the previous day.
Rules 12 and 13: special categories and the wage period
Rule 12 provides that the working hours of certain categories of employees under section 13(2) may exceed the normal hours in rule 9, with overtime for these categories as per section 14. Rule 13 states that for the purpose of wages, the wage period shall not be more than a month.
For a worked example, take a hotel laundry in Agra with a six-day week. A washer is asked to work on the Sunday rest day. The manager arranges a substituted whole-day rest on the Tuesday of the same week, pays the Sunday work at the overtime rate under rule 10(4), and records both days. For the next chapter of these rules, see our note on Uttar Pradesh wage deductions and fines.
Common lapses
- Calling a day a rest day without telling employees of the day or of a change before it is made.
- Asking an employee to work on the rest day without arranging a substituted whole-day rest.
- Letting a run of ten days pass without a whole-day rest.
- Fixing a wage period longer than a month.
Need help with hours and rest-day pay?
If your roster, overtime payments or part-time terms in Uttar Pradesh need a second look, our payroll compliance audit can test them against these rules, and the same team can help set up the notice of rest days. A review before the next wage cycle is usually simpler than correcting several months of pay.
Key takeaways
- Normal working day: eight hours for daily-wage employees; total weekly hours not above forty-eight for others (rule 9).
- Weekly rest day ordinarily Sunday in a six-day week; notice of rest days and of changes is required (rule 10).
- Work on a rest day needs a substituted whole-day rest and never more than ten days in a row without one.
- Night shifts past midnight are counted by the hour the shift ends (rule 11).
- The wage period is not longer than a month (rule 13).
Read next
- Uttar Pradesh Code on Wages Rules, 2026: the notification and calculation of minimum wages
- Uttar Pradesh Code on Wages Rules, 2026: payment of wages, deductions, fines and advances
- Uttar Pradesh OSH Rules, 2026: hours of work, overtime, leave and employment of women
- Section 13 of the Code on Wages, 2019: hours of work for a normal working day
Disclaimer: Based on the State or Union territory rules named above, as notified under the Labour Codes and consulted on 4 October 2026. Later amendments, State notifications, fees and forms should be checked in the State Gazette and on the State labour department website. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.