Rules 67 and 68 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 67 tells the employer how to announce the weekly holiday, including on an electronic notice board. Rule 68 lays down how compensatory holidays are to be spaced, noticed and given when a worker has lost a weekly holiday.
Under rule 67, the employer must post a notice at conspicuous places of every establishment showing the weekly holiday, including by electronic notice boards; if the day differs among workers, the notice must show each relay's, set's or individual's holiday in Hindi or English and in the local language. Under rule 68, no more than two compensatory holidays in a week may be given (except for continuous technical work), a notice goes up by the end of the month in which holidays are lost, changes need three days' notice, and any due holiday must be given before discharge or dismissal.
The Code behind the rules
Section 26(1) of the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (the OSH Code) says no worker shall be allowed to work in an establishment for more than six days in any one week. A proviso lets a motor transport employer require work on a weekly holiday so that no worker works more than ten days consecutively without a whole-day holiday. Section 26(2) lets the appropriate Government exempt workers by notification, and section 26(3) says that where an exemption deprives a worker of weekly holidays, the worker shall be allowed, within the month in which the holidays were due or within the two months immediately following that month, compensatory holidays equal in number. Our section 26 explainer covers these in detail.
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. A payroll compliance audit can test whether your holiday and leave records follow the right set of rules.
Rule 67: notice of the weekly holiday
| Sub-rule | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 67(1) | Post a notice at conspicuous places of the workplace of every establishment showing the weekly holiday, "including digital means like electronic notice boards" |
| 67(2) | Where the weekly holiday is not the same day for all persons employed, the notice shows the holiday allowed to each relay, set of persons or individual, in Hindi or English and in the local language |
Points to note:
- Electronic boards are accepted. A physical notice is not the only way. Where you use an electronic board, it should be at a place workers actually see, and it should be kept current.
- Two languages. The rule says the notice is in Hindi or English "and in local language". It applies expressly to staggered holidays; for a common holiday, the rule is silent on language, but a notice in the same languages is the safer practice.
- Which day. The rule does not pick the day. The employer or the applicable order decides, and the Code's six-day limit is the outer boundary.
- Who is covered. Any establishment, and any worker the Code covers. See our definitions article.
Rule 68: compensatory holidays
Rule 68 has four sub-rules.
| Sub-rule | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 68(1) | Except for workers on work which for technical reasons must be carried on continuously throughout the day, compensatory holidays must be spaced so that not more than two are given in one week |
| 68(2) | Display, on or before the end of the month in which holidays are lost, a notice of workers allowed compensatory holidays in the following month with their dates, at the place where the notice of periods of work is displayed |
| 68(3) | Any later change in the notice for a compensatory holiday must be made not less than three days in advance of that holiday |
| 68(4) | A compensatory holiday due must be given before the worker is discharged or dismissed and is not counted as part of any notice period |
Spacing. Sub-rule (1) stops the employer from bunching several lost holidays into one week. The limit is two a week. The exception is work that for technical reasons must be carried on continuously through the day.
The notice. Sub-rule (2) ties the notice to the month. If holidays are lost in March, the notice listing compensatory holidays for April, with dates, must go up on or before 31 March. It is displayed where the notice of periods of work is shown; see our rule 70 and 71 article on that notice.
Three days' change. A compensatory holiday already notified can be moved only with at least three days' advance notice. A last-minute swap falls foul of sub-rule (3).
Before exit. Sub-rule (4) closes a loophole. A worker cannot be discharged or dismissed with compensatory holidays outstanding, and the holidays cannot be counted as part of the notice period. In practice, unused compensatory holidays must be given before the exit date, or the exit date must move. The rule does not say that the holiday can be paid out instead; it says it "shall be given". Check the Code and any State rule before settling by payment.
How the rules fit the Code's time limit
Section 26(3) of the Code says compensatory holidays must be allowed within the month in which the holidays were due or the two months that follow. Rule 68(2) then requires a notice by the end of the month of loss for the following month. So, for a holiday lost in June, the Code gives until the end of August at the latest, but the notice must go up by 30 June, and the holiday in the notice is for July. If the July date slips, the Code's window still runs to August, subject to the three-day change rule.
Night shifts
Section 28 of the Code deals with shifts extending beyond midnight: a weekly holiday for a whole day means 24 consecutive hours beginning when the shift ends. See our sections 27 and 28 article. The Rules 67 and 68 do not repeat this, so the holiday notice for night workers should state the hours, not just the date.
Practical examples
Example 1. A hospital-linked laundry runs three relays. Relay A has Sunday off, B has Tuesday, C has Friday. Under rule 67(2) the notice lists each relay's holiday in English and in the local language, and stays on the notice board and the electronic board.
Example 2. A plant is exempted from the weekly holiday during a rush in March. Workers lose four holidays. By 31 March the employer displays a notice giving the dates in April, spaced at not more than two a week.
Example 3. A worker resigns with two compensatory holidays due. Under rule 68(4) the holidays must be given before the exit date and cannot be counted as part of the notice period.
Compliance checklist
- Post the weekly holiday notice, physically or electronically, in the required languages.
- Keep relay and individual holidays listed where they differ.
- Plan compensatory holidays at no more than two a week.
- Display the compensatory holiday notice by month-end.
- Give three days' notice of any change.
- Clear compensatory holidays before any discharge or dismissal.
Need help with holiday and leave compliance in payroll?
Weekly holiday notices and compensatory holidays connect directly to attendance and pay. Our team can check your notices, rosters and payroll treatment against the Code and the Central Rules. Start with our payroll compliance audit service.
Key takeaways
- Rule 67 requires a weekly holiday notice at conspicuous places, electronic boards allowed.
- Staggered holidays must be listed for each relay, set or individual in Hindi or English and the local language.
- Rule 68 caps compensatory holidays at two a week, with limited exceptions.
- The compensatory holiday notice goes up by the end of the month of loss, and changes need three days' notice.
- Compensatory holidays must be given before discharge or dismissal.
Read next
- Section 26 of the OSH Code: weekly and compensatory holidays
- Rule 69: wages for overtime
- Rules 70 and 71: double employment in mines and notice of periods of work
- Weekly holidays and festival holidays
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.