Section 26: Weekly and compensatory holidays
Reviewed by Finin2min Editorial Desk · Last reviewed 30 August 2026
Section 26 — Governs weekly and compensatory holidays and the rights, duties, powers or procedure expressly stated in this section. Key operative text: (1) No worker shall be allowed to work in an establishment for more than six days in any one week:
All provisions were brought into force from 21 November 2025 under S.O. 5321(E), subject to the Central/State appropriate-Government split and provision-specific appointments/notifications.
Provision / India Code ↗ · Official Act PDF ↗ · 2026 Central Rules ↗
Finin2min analysis — what the section actually does
Operative clauses
- (1) No worker shall be allowed to work in an establishment for more than six days in any one week:
- (2) The appropriate Government may, by notification, exempt such workers as it thinks fit from the provisions of sub-section (1), subject to such conditions as may be prescribed.
- (3) Where, as a result of the passing of an order or the making of a rule under the provisions of this Code exempting an establishment or the workers therein from the provisions of sub-section (1), a worker is deprived of any of the weekly holidays, the worker shall be allowed, within the month in which the holidays were due or within the two months immediately following that month, compensatory holidays of equal…
Provisos, explanations & qualifications
- Provided that in any motor transport undertaking, an employer may, in order to prevent any dislocation of a motor transport service, require a worker to work on any day of weekly holiday which is not a holiday so arranged that the worker does not work for more than ten days consecutively without a holiday for a whole day intervening.
Thresholds and timelines in the text
- Weekly and compensatory holidays.—(1) No worker shall be allowed to work in an establishment for more than six days in any one week:
- Provided that in any motor transport undertaking, an employer may, in order to prevent any dislocation of a motor transport service, require a worker to work on any day of weekly holiday which is not a holiday so arranged that the worker does not work for more than ten days consecutively without a holiday for a whole day intervening.
- (3) Where, as a result of the passing of an order or the making of a rule under the provisions of this Code exempting an establishment or the workers therein from the provisions of sub-section (1), a worker is deprived of any of the weekly holidays, the worker shall be allowed, within the month in which the holidays were due or within the two months…
Actors expressly appearing in the text
Employer, Worker, Appropriate Government
Full statutory text — Section 26
26. Weekly and compensatory holidays.—(1) No worker shall be allowed to work in an
establishment for more than six days in any one week:
Provided that in any motor transport undertaking, an employer may, in order to prevent any dislocation
of a motor transport service, require a worker to work on any day of weekly holiday which is not a
holiday so arranged that the worker does not work for more than ten days consecutively without a holiday
for a whole day intervening.
(2) The appropriate Government may, by notification, exempt such workers as it thinks fit from the
provisions of sub-section (1), subject to such conditions as may be prescribed.
(3) Where, as a result of the passing of an order or the making of a rule under the provisions of this
Code exempting an establishment or the workers therein from the provisions of sub-section (1), a worker
is deprived of any of the weekly holidays, the worker shall be allowed, within the month in which the
holidays were due or within the two months immediately following that month, compensatory holidays of
equal number to the holidays, so deprived.How to apply this provision
- Primary statutory test — (1) No worker shall be allowed to work in an establishment for more than six days in any one week:
- Additional operative limb — (2) The appropriate Government may, by notification, exempt such workers as it thinks fit from the provisions of sub-section (1), subject to such conditions as may be prescribed.
- Qualification / exception to test — Provided that in any motor transport undertaking, an employer may, in order to prevent any dislocation of a motor transport service, require a worker to work on any day of weekly holiday which is not a holiday so arranged that the worker does not work for more than ten days consecutively without a holiday for a whole day intervening.
- Numerical or timing control — Weekly and compensatory holidays.—(1) No worker shall be allowed to work in an establishment for more than six days in any one week:
- Central Rule mapping — 67, 68. Read the mapped provision together with this text rather than treating the concordance as a substitute for it.
- Evidence file — retain facts and records proving the role/status of: Employer, Worker, Appropriate Government.
Rules, forms and cross-references
Forms mapped
No prescribed form is directly mapped in the current concordance.
Other sections cited in this text
Related Labour Hub resources
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
For an establishment affected by weekly and compensatory holidays, the compliance owner should identify the applicable sector and authority, document the prescribed control/notice/record and retain inspection or training evidence. A text point to test is: “Weekly and compensatory holidays.—(1) No worker shall be allowed to work in an establishment for more than six days in any one week:” Also test the express qualification/proviso before concluding the result. Read the mapped Central Rule(s) 67, 68.
Illustration only; it is not statutory text or a substitute for applying the actual facts, jurisdiction, current rule/scheme and official instrument.
Q&A — Section 26
What does Section 26 of the OSHWC Code cover?
Section 26 — Governs weekly and compensatory holidays and the rights, duties, powers or procedure expressly stated in this section. Key operative text: (1) No worker shall be allowed to work in an establishment for more than six days in any one week:
What is the main legal requirement or power in Section 26?
The first operative clause identified from the official text is: “(1) No worker shall be allowed to work in an establishment for more than six days in any one week:” Read it with the remaining subsections and any proviso below.
Does Section 26 contain a proviso or explanation?
Yes. A qualification extracted from the official text is: “Provided that in any motor transport undertaking, an employer may, in order to prevent any dislocation of a motor transport service, require a worker to work on any day of weekly holiday which is not a holiday so arranged that the worker does not work for more than ten days consecutively without a holiday for a whole day intervening.”
What time limit, percentage or amount appears in Section 26?
The provision contains this numerical/time expression: “Weekly and compensatory holidays.—(1) No worker shall be allowed to work in an establishment for more than six days in any one week:” Apply it only in the clause and context in which it appears.
Which 2026 Central Rules are linked to Section 26?
The current concordance maps Section 26 to Central Rule(s) 67, 68.
Is Section 26 currently operative?
All provisions were brought into force from 21 November 2025 under S.O. 5321(E), subject to the Central/State appropriate-Government split and provision-specific appointments/notifications.
Source & verification trail
Act: Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 — official India Code PDF ↗
Central Rules: Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (Central) Rules, 2026 — G.S.R. 345(E), 8 May 2026 ↗
Official library: Ministry of Labour & Employment — Labour Codes ↗
Source check: 20 August 2026. Individual professional interpretation should be re-reviewed when the section, rules, notification, scheme, State overlay or controlling judgment changes.