Salary not paid: how to get your wages
For wages that are late, short, or not paid at all. Covers asking your employer in writing, and where to complain next depending on who you work for.
Do this first
- 1
Ask your employer in writing
State the exact amount owed and since when, by email or WhatsApp so there is a written record.
- 2
Gather your papers
Appointment letter, payslips, and bank statements showing when your salary was usually credited.
- 3
Work out which office to complain to
It depends on who you work for. See the next steps.
Step by step
- 1
Ask your employer in writing first
State what you are owed and since when, and ask for a date it will be paid. Keep a copy of what you sent and any reply.
This written record helps if you have to take the matter to the labour department.
- 2
Central government, PSU, bank, railway or mine? Use SAMADHAN
SAMADHAN is the Ministry of Labour and Employment's portal for industrial disputes, including pay disputes, handled by central government conciliation officers and central labour courts. It covers employees of establishments under central labour laws, such as central public sector units, railways, mines, banks and major ports.
If you don't work for one of these, the state route below usually applies instead.
- 3
Other employers: write to the Uttarakhand Labour Commissioner
Most private jobs in Uttarakhand (shops, factories, offices, construction sites and most other private employers) come under the state labour department, not SAMADHAN.
Write to the labour department: the Assistant Labour Commissioner for your district, or the Labour Commissioner's office in Haldwani. Describe what you're owed, with your appointment letter, payslips and bank statements. The department enforces the wage laws for the state.
The Labour Commissioner's office address, phone and email are on its page on the labour department site, and the district offices are listed there under Directory.
Since November 2025 wages are covered by the Code on Wages, 2019.
What you are filing is a wage claim before the authority the state has appointed for this, usually an officer in the labour department. You can file it yourself, or a registered trade union you belong to can file it for you, or a labour Inspector-cum-Facilitator can. If several of you are owed wages by the same employer, you can file one application together.
- 4
Not getting a response? Try the CM Helpline
If you're not sure which office to approach, or aren't getting a response, Uttarakhand's CM Helpline takes grievances against government offices, including the labour department, and tracks them for you.
What happens next
The labour department typically calls both you and your employer in for conciliation before deciding your claim. Keep copies of everything you submit.
Wages are now covered by the Code on Wages, 2019, in force since 21 November 2025. Uttarakhand notified its own rules under it in August 2026.
You generally have 3 years from when the wages were due to make a claim. A claim made later can still be accepted if you show a good reason for the delay.
The authority can order the wages you are owed and, on top of that, compensation of up to ten times that amount. It is meant to decide within three months.
If your employer still does not pay after the order, the authority issues a recovery certificate to the District Magistrate, who recovers the money as if it were a land revenue arrear. Go back to the authority and ask for this; don't start again.
If the order goes against you, you can appeal within 90 days.
Watch out
- No one from the labour department asks for money to register your complaint.
- Don't sign anything agreeing to a lower amount, or waiving your claim, under pressure from your employer.
When an advocate can help
You can do every step above yourself. An advocate helps when things get stuck:
- A legal notice demanding payment
- Help filing your claim before the labour authority if your employer doesn't respond
- Taking the claim further if the labour department route does not resolve it
Sources
- SAMADHAN: industrial disputes (central sphere) · Ministry of Labour and Employment
- Labour Commissioner, Uttarakhand: contact and functions · Labour Department, Government of Uttarakhand
- Uttarakhand CM Helpline · Government of Uttarakhand
- Government makes the four Labour Codes effective (21 Nov 2025) · Press Information Bureau
- Uttarakhand Labour Department: Acts and Rules · Labour Department, Government of Uttarakhand
- The Code on Wages, 2019, sections 45 (claims, compensation, recovery and time limit) and 49 (appeal) · Ministry of Labour and Employment
Last checked . Spotted something out of date?
This guide explains how to report a problem through official channels. It is not legal advice.