Employment, Labour and Benefits

Depending on the extent of financial distress, some companies are considering laying off some of their existing workforce. But the question remains, can financial distress be a ground for initiating layoffs in the wake of a pandemic?

On 19 September 2020, the Government of India introduced the Occupational Health, Safety and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (Code 2020) in the Lok Sabha. The bill has since received clearance from both houses of Parliament, although it awaits the assent of the President of India and subsequent notification(s) of the government to be brought into effect.

After the clearance of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 (IRC 2020) by the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha also passed the IRC 2020 on 23 September 2020. It is noteworthy that prior to this swift approval, the Industrial Relations Code, 2019 (IRC 2019) was introduced in November 2019 and thereafter was referred to the Standing Committee on Labour 2019-2020 (Standing Committee) for comments.

On 23 September 2020, Parliament passed the Code on Social Security, 2020 (Code 2020). The introduction of the bill in the Lok Sabha on 19 September 2020 and its subsequent clearance by both houses of Parliament come after the Code on Social Security, 2019 (Code 2019) was introduced in Parliament last year and subsequently sent to the Standing Committee on Labour 2019-2020 for evaluation.