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All-in-one HR platform · v2.0
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All-in-one HR platform · v2.0
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The Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act 1946 requires covered establishments to define conditions of service in writing, have them certified, and apply them consistently.
Check before you rely on thisCheck the worker threshold for standing orders under the Act or the Industrial Relations Code as in force in your state, the current model standing orders and the certification process that applies.
01
Standing orders are the employer's written rules on matters the Act lists in its schedule: classification of workers, working hours and shifts, attendance and late coming, leave and holidays, suspension and termination, misconduct and the procedure for discipline. Once certified, they bind the employer and workers.
02
It applies to industrial establishments employing at least the number of workers the Act specifies, a threshold some states have varied. Where an establishment has not certified its own, the model standing orders apply.
03
Watch for itCompany policies cannot override certified standing orders for covered workers. Keep the HR policy and the standing orders consistent.
04
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Certifying officer | The official who certifies standing orders |
| Model standing orders | Government-framed standing orders that apply until your own are certified |
| Misconduct | Acts listed in the standing orders that can lead to discipline |
| Classification | Categories such as permanent, probationer, temporary or fixed-term |
05
The four labour codes, passed by Parliament in 2019 and 2020, came into force on 21 November 2025. Final central rules under all four codes were notified on 8 May 2026, and each state frames its own rules, some of which are still in draft. During the transition, the relevant provisions of the earlier Acts and their rules continue to apply, so check which rules govern your establishment in each state.
The Standing Orders Act is among the laws consolidated into the Industrial Relations Code, which carries standing orders forward with its own threshold and model standing orders.
They apply to workers as the law defines them, which usually excludes managerial roles. Managers are generally governed by their contracts and company policy.
Only through the modification process in the law, which involves the certifying officer and notice to workers.
The model standing orders apply to covered establishments until yours are certified.
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