Section 24: Welfare facilities in the establishment, etc.

Finin2min analysis — what the section actually does

Full statutory text — Section 24

24. Welfare facilities in the establishment, etc.—(1) The employer shall be responsible to provide
and maintain in his establishment such welfare facilities for the employees as may be prescribed by the
Central Government, including,—
      (i) adequate and suitable facilities for washing to male and female employees separately;
      (ii) bathing places and locker rooms for male, female and transgender employees separately;
      (iii) place of keeping clothing not worn during working hours and for the drying of wet clothing;
      (iv) sitting arrangements for all employees obliged to work in a standing position;
     (v) facilities of canteen in an establishment for employees thereof, wherein one hundred or more
   workers including contract labourers are ordinarily employed;
     (vi) in case of mines, medical examination of the employees employed or to be employed in the
   mines, before their employment and at specific intervals;
      (vii) adequate first-aid boxes or cupboards with contents readily accessible during all working
   hours; and
       (viii) any other welfare measures which the Central Government considers, under the set of
   circumstances, as required for decent standard of life of the employees.
  (2) Without prejudice to the generality of the powers referred to under sub-section (1), the Central
Government may also prescribe for the following matters, namely:—
      (i) ambulance room in every factory, mine, building or other construction work wherein more than
   five hundred workers are ordinarily employed;

     (ii) medical facilities at the operating centres and halting stations, uniforms, raincoats and other like
   amenities for protection from rain or cold for motor transport workers;
     (iii) adequate, suitable and separate shelters or rest-rooms for male, female and transgender
   employees and lunch-room in every factory and mine wherein more than fifty workers are ordinarily
   employed and in motor transport undertaking wherein employee is required to halt at night;
      (iv) the appointment of welfare officer in every factory, mine or plantation wherein two hundred
   and fifty or more workers are ordinarily employed and the qualification, conditions of service and
   duties of such welfare officer;
      (v) for providing by the employer temporary living accommodation, free of charges and within the
   work site or as near to it as may be possible, to all building workers employed by him and for causing
   removal or demolition of such temporary living accommodation and for returning by the employer the
   possession of any land obtained by him for such purpose from Municipal Board or any other local
   authority;
       (vi) for payment by the principal employer the expenses incurred on providing the accommodation
   to the contractor, where the building or other construction work is done through the contractor;
      (vii) any other matter which may be prescribed.
   (3) The Central Government may make rules to provide for the facility of creche having suitable room
or rooms for the use of children under the age of six years of the employees at suitable location and
distance either separately or along with common facilities in establishments wherein more than fifty
workers are ordinarily employed:
   Provided that an establishment can avail common crèche facility of the Central Government, State
Government, municipality or private entity or provided by non-Governmental organisation or by any
other organisation or group of establishments may pool their resources for setting up of common crèche in
the manner as they may agree for such purpose.
                                                CHAPTER VII
                             HOURS OF WORK AND ANNUAL LEAVE WITH WAGES

How to apply this provision

1. Primary statutory test — (1) The employer shall be responsible to provide and maintain in his establishment such welfare facilities for the employees as may be prescribed by the Central Government, including,— (i) adequate and suitable facilities for washing to male and female employees separately;
2. Additional operative limb — (vii) adequate first-aid boxes or cupboards with contents readily accessible during all working hours; and (viii) any other welfare measures which the Central Government considers, under the set of circumstances, as required for decent standard of life of the employees.
3. Qualification / exception to test — Provided that an establishment can avail common crèche facility of the Central Government, State Government, municipality or private entity or provided by non-Governmental organisation or by any other organisation or group of establishments may pool their resources for setting up of common crèche in the manner as they may agree for such purpose. CHAPTER…
4. Numerical or timing control — (iii) place of keeping clothing not worn during working hours and for the drying of wet clothing;
5. Central Rule mapping — 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63. Read the mapped provision together with this text rather than treating the concordance as a substitute for it.
6. Evidence file — retain facts and records proving the role/status of: Employer, Employee / worker, Worker, Central Government, Authority / officer.

Rules, forms and cross-references

A direct concordance is not exhaustive. Central/State jurisdiction, schemes, authority appointments, saved instruments and later notifications may change the practical route without changing the section wording.

Worked example

Q&A — Section 24

Source & verification trail