Section 17(2) of the Code on Wages provides for wages payable in situations such as resignation to be paid within two working days. This should not be treated as a uniform deadline for every component of the full and final settlement (F&F).
F&F may include separate components such as salary, leave encashment, gratuity, bonus, incentives and reimbursements. Eligibility and timelines for these may be determined by the relevant laws and valid terms. Calculate the amounts after considering the new Labour Codes, applicable rules and the status of the establishment. Whether a disputed recovery can justify withholding all statutory dues must be examined separately.
What should you do now?
- Ask for a statement showing the gross amount, deductions and net payment for each component.
- Keep confirmation of your last working day and handover of assets.
- If there is a delay, make an item-wise demand and choose the appropriate authority or remedy.
Which documents should you keep?
Resignation, acceptance, payslips, leave balance and the F&F calculation.
Avoid this mistake
Do not treat “F&F takes 90 days under company policy” as the final rule for all statutory payments.
A hypothetical example
The F&F includes salary, travel reimbursement and gratuity. Ask HR for a separate calculation and payment basis for each of the three. It is not correct to treat the two-working-day deadline for wages as the same final deadline for every component.
Is gratuity also required to be paid within two days in every case?
It is not correct to conflate the provision relating to wages with the separate statutory process for gratuity.
Legal basis and useful sources
- Code on Wages, 2019 — wages, deductions and payment timelines
- Ministry of Labour — timelines for payment of wages
- Code on Social Security, 2020 — updated up to 21 November 2025
This is general legal information. Advice may differ depending on your facts, the applicable law and state rules.