The rate of wages split into basic, dearness allowance and other allowances, attendance, overtime, gross pay, deductions and net pay, among twelve prescribed fields. Section 50(3) of the Code on Wages 2019 requires every employer to issue wage slips in the prescribed form, and both the Central rules and Tamil Nadu's 2022 draft prescribe Form V, due on or before payday. For a contract crew, the contractor issues it.
Who issues it, and when
The contractor, as the worker's employer, on or before the day wages are paid. The Code on Wages counts the contractor as an employer (s.2(l)), and section 50(3) says "every employer shall issue wage slips to the employees in such form and manner as may be prescribed". Rule 52 of the Code on Wages (Central) Rules 2026 and rule 45 of Tamil Nadu's draft Code on Wages rules both require Form V "on or before payment of wages", electronically or on paper.
The OSH Code adds its own duty to "issue wage slips to the workers, in electronic forms or otherwise" (s.33(1)(c)), and rule 72(2) of the OSH (Central) Rules 2026 prescribes an electronic Form XVI with the same fields. Rule 72(3) then treats the registers and wage slips kept under the Code on Wages rules as meeting the OSH rule, so one slip serves both. Failing to issue slips is a contravention of the Code on Wages punishable with a fine of up to ₹20,000, or up to one month's imprisonment or ₹40,000 for a repeat within five years (s.54(1)(c) and (d)).
What Form V must show
The header carries the date of issue, the establishment's name and address, and the period. The body fields are almost the same in both versions, with Tamil Nadu's draft adding three:
| Field | Central rules, Form V | Tamil Nadu draft, Form V |
|---|---|---|
| Name; father's, mother's or spouse's name; designation | Yes | Yes (father's or spouse's name) |
| Aadhaar number | No | Yes |
| UAN and bank account number | Yes | Yes |
| Wage period | Yes | Yes |
| Rate of wages: basic, DA, other allowances | Yes | Yes |
| Total attendance or units of work done | Yes | Yes |
| Total hours of overtime | No | Yes |
| Overtime wages | Yes | Yes |
| Gross wages payable | Yes | Yes |
| Deductions: PF, ESI, others | Yes | Yes, plus a separate line for the Tamil Nadu Labour Welfare Fund |
| Net wages paid | Yes | Yes |
A signature is needed only where the register is kept on paper. The Tamil Nadu version is the one a factory or warehouse in the State should follow once its rules are final [VERIFY: whether Tamil Nadu's final Code on Wages rules keep Form V as drafted].
How a site reads one
Field by field, against records the site already holds. A wage slip is the one document that puts the rate, the hours, the deductions and the payment on a single page, which makes it the fastest way to test a contractor's payroll without rebuilding it.
| Field | Check it against | What a gap means |
|---|---|---|
| Basic plus DA | The minimum rate notified for the scheduled employment and zone | Underpayment, or the wrong schedule applied |
| Attendance | The site's gate or shift register for the same period | Days worked but not paid, or paid but not worked |
| Overtime hours and wages | Shift records, counted daily and weekly with part-hours rounded | Overtime missed or under-rated |
| PF and ESI deducted | The contractor's challans for the same month | Contributions deducted but not deposited |
| Other deductions | The purposes allowed by section 18 of the Code on Wages | An unauthorised deduction |
| Bank account and net pay | The bank credit and its date | Pay to the wrong account, or late |
What a site should ask for
- Access to the slips, every month. Electronic copies for the crew on the floor, or read access to the contractor's portal, in the same pack as the wage register and challans.
- Proof each worker received one. A slip issued to the payroll file and never to the worker does not meet section 50(3). An SMS or email log, or a signed acknowledgement where slips are on paper.
- A sample check each month. Five or ten slips, chosen by the site, tested against the gate register, the minimum rate and the bank credits. Rotate the sample so every worker is checked over the year.
- Every field filled. A slip with no overtime hours, a blank UAN or a single lump of "others" in deductions is a slip that hides the answer to one of the checks above.
How Velura Services helps
Every Velura worker receives an electronic wage slip with all the statutory fields on or before payday, and the site gets the same data in our monthly payroll report. If a worker queries a slip, our supervisor resolves it with our payroll team rather than leaving it with your HR.
Sources
- The Code on Wages, 2019 (Act 29 of 2019), Gazette text hosted by the Ministry of Labour and Employment — s.2(l) (employer includes contractor), s.18 (deductions), s.50(3) (wage slips), s.54(1)(c) and (d) (penalties). Opened and read.
- Code on Wages (Central) Rules, 2026, G.S.R. 343(E) dated 8 May 2026 — r.52 (wage slip in Form V, electronically or in physical form, on or before payment of wages), Form V. Opened and read from a mirrored copy of the Gazette [VERIFY: against the e-Gazette original].
- Code on Wages (Tamil Nadu) Rules, 2022 (draft), G.O. Ms. No. 36, 11 April 2022 — r.45 (wage slip in Form V), Form V (including Aadhaar number, total hours of overtime and the TNLW Fund deduction). Opened and read. Draft only.
- Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (Act 37 of 2020), Gazette text hosted by DGFASLI — s.33(1)(c) (wage slips). Opened and read.
- Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (Central) Rules, 2026, G.S.R. 345(E) dated 8 May 2026 — r.72(2) (wage slip in Form XVI, electronically, on or before payday), r.72(3) (Code on Wages registers and slips deemed to satisfy the rule). Opened and read from a mirrored copy of the Gazette [VERIFY: against the e-Gazette original].