Employment & Labour Practice
Employment & Labour Lawyers in Bangalore
Wrongful termination, notice pay and salary recovery, POSH matters, gratuity claims and employer-side compliance, handled before Bengaluru's Labour Courts, the Shops and Establishments authorities and the Karnataka High Court.
We aim to respond within 24 hours.
- Labour Courts, S&E authorities & Karnataka High Court
- Employees and employers, both sides
- Confidential by default
- Pro bono Fridays, by prior appointment
The law of the workplace, for both sides of it
Most people search for an employment lawyer in Bangalore on the worst day of their working year: a termination email, a stalled settlement, a complaint. The first question is almost always the same: was this legal? The answer depends on which statute covers you, and our guide to wrongful termination and employee rights in India walks through that analysis in detail.
Bengaluru's workforce sits mostly in offices, which means the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961 does more work here than anywhere else: S.39 protects employees with six months of service from dismissal without reasonable cause and gives them an appeal, and it is State legislation the labour codes did not repeal. Workers get the stronger remedies of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, including reinstatement. Managers and senior staff fall back on their contracts, which is why what an employment agreement says about notice, bonuses and termination matters long before any dispute exists.
We act for employees and employers, and the practice is better for it: knowing how companies defend these cases makes employee claims sharper, and knowing how employees win them makes employer compliance real. On the employer side that means lawful contracts and service agreements, working POSH machinery under the POSH complaint procedure, and restructuring done by the statute rather than by hope.
The law at a glance
S.53
Termination disputes, Industrial Relations Code, 2020
A dismissed worker can raise the dispute individually. Conciliation cannot be held more than two years after the dispute arose, and the tribunal application must follow within 90 days of the failure report.
15 days/yr
Retrenchment compensation under S.70, IR Code
One month's notice or pay, plus 15 days' average pay per completed year of service, for workers with 240 days of continuous service. Skipping it can void the retrenchment. Formerly S.25F of the repealed Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.
S.39
Karnataka Shops & Establishments Act, 1961
Employees of shops and commercial establishments with six months' service cannot be dismissed without reasonable cause and notice, and can appeal a termination to the prescribed authority.
S.53
Gratuity, Code on Social Security, 2020
Payable after five years of continuous service at 15 days' wages per completed year. The five-year condition is waived on death, disablement or expiry of a fixed term. The ceiling is now set by Central Government notification, not by the statute.
Figures reflect the statutory position on the date of review. The four labour codes came into force on 21 November 2025, with central rules from 30 December 2025; several thresholds and ceilings now depend on notifications and state rules, and saving provisions may affect matters already pending.
What we handle
Employment and labour law services in Bangalore
Eight kinds of matters make up almost all employment practice. We handle them for employees and employers under one roof.
Salary, Notice Pay & Full-and-Final
Recovery of unpaid salary, notice pay, incentives and withheld full-and-final settlements, and the relieving documents that often get held hostage with them.
Gratuity, PF & Statutory Dues
Claims before the controlling authority for unpaid gratuity, and recovery of provident fund and other statutory dues that stopped moving.
Retrenchment & Restructuring Advisory
S.70 and S.71 IR Code compliance for employers reducing headcount: notice, compensation, seniority order and the documentation that survives scrutiny.
Labour Court & Appellate Representation
Industrial disputes, S&E appeals and writ proceedings before the Karnataka High Court, argued for employees and employers alike.
The framework
The statutes your dispute will turn on
Which law protects you depends on what you do and where you work. Most Bengaluru employment matters move under one or more of these.
Industrial Relations Code, 2020
- S.53
- S.70
- S.71
- S.72
In force from 21 November 2025, replacing the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. Conciliation and the tribunal application, the notice-and-compensation conditions for retrenchment, the last-in-first-out rule, and re-employment rights.
Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961
- S.39
The statute covering most of Bengaluru's private offices, and State legislation the labour codes did not repeal. Protection against dismissal without reasonable cause, and an appeal to the prescribed authority.
POSH Act, 2013
- S.4
- S.9
- S.11
Internal Committees for workplaces with 10 or more employees, the three-month complaint window, and a 90-day inquiry timeline.
Code on Social Security, 2020
- S.53
- S.56
- S.58
In force from 21 November 2025, replacing the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 and the EPF, ESI and maternity benefit statutes. Gratuity after five years of continuous service, and the claim before the competent authority when the employer does not pay.
Code on Wages, 2019
- S.2
- S.69
The consolidation of the minimum wages, payment of wages, bonus and equal remuneration statutes, in force from 21 November 2025. Its definition of wages, common to all four codes, is what recalculates gratuity and provident fund on allowance-heavy salary structures.
Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020
- S.25
- S.27
- S.30
In force from 21 November 2025, replacing the Factories Act, 1948, the Contract Labour Act, 1970 and eleven other statutes. Hours of work, overtime at twice the rate of wages, and the restriction on double employment in a factory or mine.
Check your dates
The window to raise a termination dispute is now two years, not three
The proviso to Section 53(1) of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 bars conciliation more than two years after the dispute arose. Where conciliation fails, Section 53(6) gives 90 days from the failure report to move the Tribunal. Both clocks are shorter than the ones most people are working from.
Work out my deadlineHow a matter moves
From termination letter to final order
Employment disputes follow a recognisable arc. This is what to expect, with honest indicative durations.
- 1
Consultation & document review
Week 1Appointment letter, contract, payslips, termination or resignation correspondence, chats and emails. Employment cases are won on documents, and most clients have more of them than they think.
- 2
Forum and strategy decision
Week 1-2Worker or not, S&E establishment or factory, money claim or reinstatement claim: the answers decide the forum, and the forum decides the strategy.
- 3
Demand notice & negotiation
2-6 weeksA precise legal notice resolves a large share of employment disputes, because most employers would rather settle than litigate a documented claim.
- 4
Conciliation or appeal filing
1-3 monthsFor workers, conciliation under S.53 of the Industrial Relations Code, then an application to the industrial tribunal within 90 days of the failure report. For S&E employees, an appeal against the termination to the prescribed authority.
- 5
Evidence & arguments
Months, case-dependentClaim statements, witness evidence and cross-examination before the Labour Court or authority, built on the documents assembled at the start.
- 6
Award, order & enforcement
As neededReinstatement, back wages, compensation or dues, followed through execution if the employer does not comply, and defended in writ proceedings if challenged.
Durations are indicative and vary with the forum, the authority's workload and the employer's willingness to settle.
Choosing a forum
Labour Court, S&E authority or civil claim: where your case belongs
The forum question decides employment cases before the merits do. This is the honest version of that choice for Karnataka.
| Industrial Tribunal (IR Code) | S&E Appellate Authority | Civil / Money Claim | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who can use it | Workers: broadly, employees not employed mainly in a managerial or administrative capacity, and supervisors within the notified wage threshold. | Employees of shops and commercial establishments, which covers most Bengaluru offices. | Any employee, including senior management outside the ID Act. |
| Typical relief | Reinstatement with back wages, or compensation in lieu. | Setting aside the termination, reinstatement or compensation. | Recovery of salary, notice pay and contractual dues; damages for breach. |
| Key deadline | Two years from when the dispute arose to reach conciliation, then 90 days from the failure report to move the tribunal. Sooner is always stronger. | A short appeal window from the termination order, so act immediately. | Generally three years under the Limitation Act, 1963. |
| Timeline (indicative) | 1-3 years to award. | Months to a year or more, authority-dependent. | 2-4 years for a contested suit; summary procedures can be faster. |
| When to choose it | You qualify as a worker and want reinstatement or statutory protection. | You work in an office or shop and were dismissed without reasonable cause. | You are outside the worker definition, or the claim is purely monetary. |
Timelines are indicative, drawn from how these matters typically move in Bengaluru forums. Forum tests turn on your actual duties, not your designation.
Where you might be right now
Situations we handle every week
Employment clients arrive mid-crisis, usually with a deadline already running. These are the situations we see most.
Terminated overnight without notice or inquiry?
Preserve everything: the letter or email, chats, payslips. Whether the remedy is an S&E appeal or a Labour Court claim, timelines are short and the documents you save this week decide the case.
Being pressured to resign?
A forced resignation can amount to termination in law, but the paper trail must show the pressure. We advise before you sign anything, because a clean resignation letter is hard to unwind later.
Full-and-final settlement and relieving letter stuck?
Employers rarely have a legal basis for holding both salary and documents. A structured demand notice, followed by the right forum if ignored, moves most of these within weeks.
Involved in a POSH complaint, on either side?
The inquiry has strict timelines and procedure, and mistakes hurt both complainants and respondents. We advise parties through the Internal Committee process and employers on running it lawfully.
Threatened with a bond or non-compete after resigning?
Post-employment non-competes are largely void under S.27 of the Contract Act, 1872, and training bonds are enforceable only to the extent of genuine expense. We reply to these threats with the law, not anxiety.
Gratuity unpaid after five years of service?
Gratuity is a statutory right, not a favour. We send the claim, file before the controlling authority under S.7, and press for the interest the delay has already earned you.
Fees, honestly
How we charge for employment matters
An employee who has just lost a salary should not face an open-ended legal bill, and an employer budgeting compliance needs numbers, not estimates. The structure is simple and in writing before any work begins.
- Fixed fees for defined work. Notices, replies, employment agreement reviews and POSH policy drafting are quoted as one figure before we begin.
- Stage-wise fees for Labour Court, S&E and writ proceedings, stated in the engagement letter, so a long case never becomes an open-ended bill.
- Employer compliance work, policies, training and retainers are scoped monthly in writing.
- Court fees and out-of-pocket expenses are billed at actuals, shown separately. No outcome is ever promised.
Talk to an employment lawyer while the deadlines are still open
One confidential conversation is usually enough to know your forum, your timeline and what your claim is realistically worth. Friday is our pro bono day: send the question in first and we confirm a slot as availability allows.
Every enquiry is privileged and confidential. Nothing you share leaves this firm.
Frequently Asked Questions
What employment and labour matters do you handle?+−
We handle wrongful termination, employment contracts and policies, full-and-final settlement disputes, PF, ESI and gratuity issues, POSH compliance, workplace harassment, non-compete and confidentiality matters, and labour court and tribunal proceedings.
Was my termination legal?+−
Whether a termination is legal depends on your contract, the reason, the procedure followed, and applicable labour laws. Termination without notice, due process, or valid grounds may be challengeable, and we review your facts to advise on remedies.
What can I do about wrongful termination?+−
Depending on your status and the law, remedies can include reinstatement, back wages, compensation, or settlement, pursued through negotiation, labour authorities, or the courts. We assess the strongest route based on your role and evidence.
What is full and final settlement and what am I owed?+−
A full and final settlement covers your dues on exit, including unpaid salary, leave encashment, gratuity if eligible, and reimbursements. Employers must release it within a reasonable time, and we help recover wrongfully withheld amounts.
Am I entitled to gratuity?+−
Gratuity is generally payable to employees who complete five years of continuous service with an establishment covered by the Payment of Gratuity Act, subject to certain conditions. We help compute and claim gratuity that is delayed or denied.