The minimum age for recruitment is 18 years and the normal age of retirement is 55 years. However, extensions beyond 55 years can be granted at the discretion of management.

There should be no discrimination between male and female workers in terms of remuneration and facilities.

A written contract of employment embodying terms and conditions of service including the designation or category of the employee, normal hours of work, rate of pay, period of training if any, probationary period, leave, holidays and superannuation contribution, has to be issued to every worker including trainees, and acknowledgement of receipt obtained by the employer.

There are no restrictions on employment of male workers on night shifts. Employment of female workers on night work from 10.00am on the following day will be allowed as a third shift, subject to certain conditions:

Any work performed in excess of the normal working day to be treated as overtime work and shall be remunerated accordingly. Every hour of such work should be paid at 1 ½ times the normal hourly rate of wages, which is determined by dividing the monthly rate of wages by 200. In calculating hours of overtime employment, any fraction of an hour less than ½ hour shall be treated as half an hour. Employees working on Sundays and Poya days should be paid 1 ½ times the daily wage rate. If an employee works beyond the normal working day on a Sunday he/she should be remunerated at double the daily wage.

An employee shall be granted a 14-day vacation leave with pay from the second year of employment onwards if he/she has been continuously in employment during the year.

An office employee has to be granted 7 days casual leave with pay from the second year of employment.

Sick leave to be granted at the discretion of management. Some enterprises grant such leave up to a maximum of 21 days. Employee must produce medical certificates to cover such leave.

b) In case she has two or more children or in the event she miscarries the employee shall be allowed 6 weeks (42 days) paid leave in addition to other paid leave/holidays she is entitled to.

An amount equivalent to 20% of the employee's total earnings has to be remitted to the Fund before the last working day of the succeeding month in respect of all employees.

An employee's contribution to the Fund is 8% and the employer has to contribute an amount equivalent to total earnings.

Employers are expected to remit an amount equivalent to 3% of the total monthly earnings of the employee before the last working day of the succeeding month. There is no contribution from the employee.

An employee who has completed five years' service shall be paid a gratuity on cessation of his employment irrespective of whether he has retired or resigned or his services have been terminated by the employer. Such gratuity shall be computed at the rate of half a month's salary for every year of completed service based on the consolidated salary last drawn by the employee. Payments should be made within 30 days of cessation of employment. An enterprise, which employs fifteen or more workers, is liable to pay such gratuity.

An employer can terminate the services of an employee on disciplinary grounds (e.g. misconduct, fraud, refusal to carry out lawful orders) provided the normal disciplinary procedure has been followed. For wrongful termination of services an employee can seek redress in the Labour tribunal before the expiry of 6 months from the date of such termination.

In the case of workers who have been in employment for more than one year, lay-off, retrenchment or termination of services for reasons other than on disciplinary grounds can be effected only with either the prior written consent of the worker or the prior written approval of the Commissioner of Labour. Such approval will be granted after due inquiry. On cessation of employment, a worker should be issued with a letter with a reason for such cessation and a service certificate for a period of his employment.

Any dispute or difference between the employer and employee should be promptly brought to the notice of the industrial relations department of the BOI so that such disputes could be resolved.

Whenever lay-off, retrenchment, closure or termination of services of employees due to no-disciplinary reasons become necessary, requests should be made in advance to the industrial relations department of the BOI so that suitable arrangements could be made.