Self-Executing Dispute Resolution via Smart Contracts
Self-Executing Dispute Resolution via Smart Contracts: Emerging Legal Hurdles and Prospects in Decentralized Financial Ecosystems VOLUME 3 ISSUE 2 Author…
Discription
ABSTRACT
Background: India has introduced four Labour Codes to simplify and consolidate its labour laws, by bringing important changes to the employment practices across organizations. These include the Code on Wages, 2019, the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, the Code on Social Security, 2020, and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020. A major reform is introduced through the Section 17(2) of the Code on Wages, 2019 which requires employers to complete the payment of all wages due to an employee within two working days of separation. This requirement has changed the employee separation and Full & Final (F&F) settlement processes which compels the organizations to streamline their exit procedures and payroll operations to ensure a timely compliance.
Problem: Although the Labour Codes require the employers to settle employee wages within two working days of separation, many organizations still follow the traditional Full & Final (F&F) settlement process which typically takes around 30–45 days. This difference between legal requirements and current workplace practices creates compliance challenges. Delays caused by the pending asset returns, notice pay calculations, multiple approval stages and absconding employees often slow down the settlement process which makes it difficult for the organizations to meet the prescribed timeline.
Framework: In order to overcome these challenges, this study proposes a RACE Framework which brings together four key stages those are Recovery & Reconciliation, Approval & Accountability, Conditional Compliance Execution, and Exit Closure Governance to support a faster and more compliant Full & Final (F&F) settlement process. It offers a structured way for the organizations to complete settlements within the statutory timeline while ensuring the regulatory compliance, clear accountability and effective operational control throughout the employee exit process.
Contribution: The contributions of this study come in two ways. In practical terms, it provides the first comprehensive framework for swift F&F settlement compliance in line with India’s four Labour Codes in a manner that is coherent with the legal framework of Section 17(2) and realistic in light of organisational realities. At a conceptual level, this study shows that it is possible to comply with the requirement of two days’ pay without foregone rights if the two-track principle is built into the exit process management system starting with the act of separation. From a theoretical perspective, this study fills a gap left open by the literature, which concentrates largely on legislative interpretation and workers’ rights issues.
KEYWORDS:
Code on Wages, Full & Final Settlement (F&F), Labour Compliance, Operational Governance, Recovery Governance, Notice Pay Management, Exit Governance, RACE Framework
The consolidation of 29 central labour laws into four Labour Codes which marks one of the most significant reforms in India’s labour regulatory framework in the recent decades. While the reforms were introduced with the objective of simplifying and streamlining the labour compliance, they have also created new operational challenges for the organisations particularly in the areas of employee separation, payroll administration and the compliance management. Among the many changes introduced under the Labour Codes, Section 17(2) of the Code on Wages, 2019 is one of the most significant for the employers. It requires organisations to pay all the wages due to an employee within the two working days of separation, regardless of whether the employee resigns, is dismissed, retrenched or removed from service. This marks a major shift from the traditional Full & Final (F&F) settlement process followed by many Indian organisations where the settlements often take 30 to 45 days to complete. As a result, the employers need to rethink and streamline their separation and payroll processes to ensure a timely compliance with the new legal requirement. Historically, the organisations have taken 30–45 days to complete Full & Final (F&F) settlements because the process involves several essential operational steps. These include reconciling attendance and leave records, recovering company assets, calculating notice pay, obtaining the approvals from HR, finance and reporting managers, and processing statutory dues and other terminal benefits, many of which follow a different legal timeline. Although the Code on Wages has introduced a much shorter deadline for wage payments after separation, these operational activities have not disappeared. As a result, the real challenge for the employers is not simply complying with the new legal requirement but redesigning their existing the F&F processes so they can be completed accurately within the much shorter timeframe.The challenge becomes even more complex because organisations must comply with multiple Labour Codes at the same time. While the Code on Wages, 2019 requires the wages to be paid within two working days of an employee’s separation, other Labour Codes impose additional obligations that follow different timelines. For example, the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 introduces specific provisions relating to the employee separation including cases such as absconding employees and notice period management. Similarly, the Code on Social Security, 2020 governs the payment of statutory benefits such as gratuity and provident fund which each of it has its own prescribed timelines.
As a result, the employers are required to manage several interconnected compliance requirements simultaneously while ensuring that every legal obligation is completed accurately and within the timeline specified under the respective law.
Existing research on India’s Labour Codes has largely focused on their legal provisions and broader policy implications (Dubey, 2020; Chaudhary & Remesh, 2021).However, there is a limited research on how organisations can practically implement these reforms in their day-to-day operations. Important aspects such as redesigning Full & Final (F&F) settlement processes, establishing the effective governance mechanisms, coordinating across HR, finance, payroll and business teams, and managing compliance risks have received little scholarly attention. This gap is particularly important from a practitioner perspective. How can organisations meet the statutory requirement of paying the wages within two working days while simultaneously managing the recovery claims, notice pay adjustments, approval workflows and the statutory benefit obligations?
This paper addresses this gap by proposing the RACE Framework – Recovery & Reconciliation, Approval & Accountability, Conditional Compliance Execution and Exit Closure Governance. This framework provides a practical approach to manage the Full & Final (F&F) settlements within the statutory timelines by aligning the legal requirements with operational processes while ensuring governance, accountability and compliance.
| Author(s) & Year |
Focus Area | Key Contribution | Limitation / Gap Left |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubey (2020) |
Code on Wages, 2019 | Analyses revised wage definitions and their governance implications under the new code | Does not extend analysis to operational or implementation challenges |
| Chaudhary & Remesh (2021) |
4 Labour Codes Workers’ Rights | Critiques the four-code consolidation from a workers’ rights and employment regulation perspective | Stops short of addressing practical compliance and process realities for employers |
| Malathi (2026) |
HR Implementation Challenges | Most recent academic work acknowledging that the real difficulty lies in operationalising the codes, not reading them | Does not propose a structured governance or operational framework |
| Ascent HR (2025) |
Industry Practice F&F Compliance | Confirms that the two-day F&F requirement is operationally unmet across a large segment of Indian employers | Industry report; lacks academic rigour and framework-level analysis |
| Parker & Nielsen (2011) |
Responsive Regulation & Compliance Theory | Argues that durable compliance requires statutory intent embedded into operational workflows, not treated as a downstream check | Developed in a Western regulatory context; not applied to Indian labour compliance |
| Krawiec (2003) |
Cosmetic Compliance | Demonstrates that rule-following programmes without operational integration produce surface adherence that fails under real pressure | Does not address multi-timeline or payroll-specific compliance scenarios |
| ILO (2024) | Wage Protection Standards | Situates timely wage payment within the decent work framework; notes effectiveness depends on enforcement mechanism strength | Does not address India-specific multi-code compliance or operational design |
| Malik (2019) | Employment Contracts & Notice Pay | Notes that Indian employment contracts routinely embed notice pay recovery clauses | Analysis predates the four-code regime; does not address interaction of contractual clauses with the new statutory deduction ceiling |
| Pocket HRMS (2026) |
Industry Practice – F&F Settlement | Confirms most organisations continue to treat multi-timeline obligations as a single bundled F&F event | Practitioner guide only; does not propose any framework to resolve the compliance failure this practice creates |
Note: Note. Comparative statutory reference: The UK Employment Rights Act 1996 and Singapore Employment Act (Cap. 91A) are referenced in Section 5 as comparative design precedents. Both statutes treat wage payment and recovery actions as legally independent obligations a deliberate legislative separation that informs the two-track model proposed in this paper. The Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 and the Code on Social Security, 2020 are analysed as primary statutory sources in Section 3.3.
Despite the growing importance of a timely Full and Final (F&F) settlement under India’s four Labour Codes, no published study has proposed an operational framework to support the rapid compliance. A question remains unanswered: how can organisations simultaneously comply with the wage payment requirement under the Section 17(2), safeguard their recovery rights, manage notice pay adjustments within the prescribed statutory limits and coordinate with the approvals across multiple functions within a two-working-day timeframe? This study seeks to mitigate this gap by proposing a structured framework for the rapid and compliant F&F settlement.
This study uses a doctrinal research methodology, its primary objective is to develop an operational and governance principles from statutory provisions rather than test hypotheses through empirical methods (McKerchar, 2008). The doctrinal approach involves a detailed examination of the primary legal sources, including statutes and their relevant provisions.
The analysis was carried out in three stages.
All statutory materials used in this study were obtained from the India Code, the official repository of Indian legislation maintained by the Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India. The scope of the research is limited to the key provisions of the Labour Codes which is relevant to the F&F settlement. State-specific regulations and the sector-specific requirements are beyond the scope of this study.
As per Section 17(2) of the Code on Wages, 2019, employers are to pay wages within two working days of separation of an employee, whether due to resignation, dismissal, retrenchment or any other mode of termination. This obligation is specific to the “wages” as defined under Section 2(y), which broadly covers basic pay and dearness allowance but not all components of a Full and Final (F&F) settlement. Certain terminal benefits, such as gratuity and specific reimbursements continue to be governed by the separate statutory provisions and timelines.
Section 18 specifies the deductions that may legally be made from the wages. Another practical challenge arises from Section 18(3), which restricts total deductions in any wage period to 50 percent of the wages payable. This provision creates difficulties in cases of short-notice resignations, where the amount recoverable towards notice pay or unreturned company assets may be higher than the wages payable to the employee. As a result, employers cannot recover the entire amount through the Full & Final (F&F) settlement alone and may need to use alternative recovery methods while ensuring compliance with the statutory requirements.
+919458479236
Self-Executing Dispute Resolution via Smart Contracts: Emerging Legal Hurdles and Prospects in Decentralized Financial Ecosystems VOLUME 3 ISSUE 2 Author…
Legal Notice Format India 2026: Free Templates for Consumer, Cheque Bounce & Property Disputes Blog Author (s) LRA Table of…
FROM SUPACE TO SOVEREIGNTY: THE RISE OF JUDICIAL AI GOVERNANCE IN INDIA Article, VOLUME 3 ISSUE 2 Author (s) Shreya…
Questions of medical negligence have acquired increasing importance in India as healthcare has moved into a more rights-conscious and legally supervised environment.… Continue reading
Waste generation has emerged as one of the most serious environmental challenges facing India today. Population growth, rapid urbanization, and increasing consumption patterns have… Continue reading
Environmental protection has become a global priority as industrialization and urban development continue to expand rapidly. Industries contribute significantly to economic growth… Continue reading
A practical, section-by-section certificate course on Taxation and GST — covering the constitutional basis of GST, meaning and scope of supply, levy and collection, reverse charge mechanism, composition levy, time and value of supply, input tax credit, registration, tax invoicing, and returns under the CGST Act, 2017. Designed for law students, CA/CS/CMA aspirants, business owners, and compliance professionals. 6 weeks, 12 sessions — just ₹1,500.
Taxation and GST together cover how India taxes income, transactions, and the supply of goods and services. GST — the Goods and Services Tax — is the indirect tax framework introduced in 2017 under the dual structure of CGST, SGST, IGST, and UTGST, governed by Articles 246A, 269A, and 279A of the Constitution and operationalised through the CGST Act, 2017 — covering supply, levy, registration, input tax credit, invoicing, and returns.
India's tax landscape has grown significantly more complex since GST replaced a patchwork of state and central indirect taxes. With over 1.2 crore registered GST taxpayers and monthly gross GST collections now crossing ₹1.94 lakh crore, compliance, litigation, and advisory work around GST has become one of the fastest-growing areas of legal and financial practice in India.
For business owners and entrepreneurs, GST compliance is now a daily operational reality — registration, invoicing, reverse charge, and timely return filing directly affect cash flow and input tax credit. For law students and legal practitioners, GST litigation before appellate authorities and tribunals is a rapidly expanding practice area. For CA/CS/CMA aspirants, accountants, and compliance officers, section-wise command of the CGST Act is what separates a working professional from a thriving advisory career.
This certificate course on taxation and GST from Legal Research and Analysis gives you structured, practical, India-specific knowledge of GST — taught by practising tax and GST advocates, in just 6 weeks at ₹1,500.
| Aspect | Taxation (Direct Tax) | GST (Indirect Tax) |
|---|---|---|
| Nature | Tax on income or profit | Tax on supply of goods & services |
| Levied On | Individuals & companies directly | Suppliers, ultimately borne by consumers |
| Governing Law | Income Tax Act, 1961 | CGST / SGST / IGST Acts, 2017 |
| Point of Collection | At year-end / via advance tax | At each point of supply |
| Administered By | CBDT | CBIC & GST Council |
Practising tax & GST advocates as faculty — complete CGST Act coverage — ₹1,500. Built for every career path that touches GST.
Learn from advocates who practise tax and GST matters across India and litigate before the Jharkhand High Court — not just academic theory, but the practical reality of how GST disputes and compliance actually play out.
From Section 2 definitions to Section 50 interest on delayed payment — every major chapter of the CGST Act, 2017 is covered in structured, session-wise detail across 6 weeks.
Most GST courses jump straight to filing mechanics. This course starts with Articles 246A, 269A, and 279A — the constitutional basis of dual GST — so you understand why the law is structured the way it is.
Whether you're a law student, a CA/CS/CMA aspirant, a business owner, or a corporate compliance officer — the curriculum is structured to be equally useful across all these professional tracks.
Dedicated sessions on input tax credit eligibility, blocked credits under Section 17(5), reverse charge mechanism, and the full registration procedure under Sections 22–30 — the areas where most compliance mistakes happen.
Complete your taxation and GST certification in just 6 weeks, two classes a week — structured to fit around your job, practice, or studies.
The meaning and scope of "supply" under Section 7 and Schedules I–III, composite and mixed supply under Section 8, and the charging section — levy and collection under Section 9, including reverse charge and e-commerce operator liability.
Eligibility, turnover thresholds, conditions and rate structure under the composition scheme (Section 10), and the power to grant exemptions under Section 11 — essential for advising small businesses and startups.
When tax liability arises — time of supply of goods (Section 12) and services (Section 13), changes in tax rate (Section 14) — and how transaction value is determined under Section 15, including inclusions, exclusions and related-party valuation.
Eligibility and conditions for ITC under Section 16, blocked credits under Section 17(5), ITC in special circumstances under Section 18, job-work credit under Section 19, and ISD credit distribution under Section 20.
Who must register (Section 22), who is exempt (Section 23), compulsory registration triggers under Section 24 — including reverse charge, inter-state supply and e-commerce — and the full procedure for registration, amendment, cancellation and revocation (Sections 25–30).
Tax invoices and credit/debit notes (Sections 31 & 34), furnishing of returns including GSTR-3B (Section 39), and payment of tax through the electronic cash and credit ledger, including interest on delayed payment (Sections 49 & 50).
12 live sessions — from foundational definitions to GST returns and payment — structured section-by-section through the CGST Act, 2017.
Every core provision of the CGST Act, 2017 that governs how GST actually applies in practice — from definitions to returns.
Not just theory — every concept is tied to the exact CGST Act provision and the practical compliance scenario it governs.
Under reverse charge, the liability to pay GST shifts from the supplier to the recipient in specified situations — including notified goods and services, and supplies from unregistered persons. Section 9(5) extends a similar liability to e-commerce operators for specified services. Getting RCM wrong is one of the most common and costly GST compliance errors for businesses.
Reverse ChargeNot every input tax paid is available as credit. Section 17(5) lists specific categories — like motor vehicles, food and beverages, and works contract services in certain cases — where ITC is expressly blocked, regardless of whether the expense is for business purposes. Misclaiming blocked credit is a frequent trigger for GST notices.
Blocked CreditDesigned for small taxpayers, the composition scheme allows businesses below a prescribed turnover threshold to pay GST at a fixed, lower rate with simplified quarterly compliance — in exchange for giving up the right to collect GST from customers or claim input tax credit. Choosing this scheme correctly can significantly reduce compliance burden for small businesses.
Composition LevyInput tax credit isn't available indefinitely — Section 16(4) sets a strict time limit within which ITC for a financial year must be claimed, tied to the due date of filing the September return (or annual return, whichever is earlier) of the following year. Missing this deadline means the credit is permanently lost, regardless of eligibility.
Time-Barred ITCAdd a high-value, exam-relevant specialisation to your CV. GST litigation and indirect tax are fast-growing moot court and placement topics.
Build structured, section-wise GST expertise to handle compliance advisory and litigation before appellate authorities and tribunals.
Reinforce your professional curriculum with practical, advocate-led GST training that complements your formal qualification.
Understand registration, invoicing, reverse charge, and ITC well enough to manage compliance confidently and avoid costly errors.
Master the registration, return filing, and ITC framework that underpins your organisation's GST compliance obligations.
Strengthen your understanding of how GST flows through invoicing, ledgers, and payment cycles — directly relevant to finance operations.
Deepen your section-wise command of the CGST Act to advise clients with greater confidence on registration, ITC, and return filing.
Build a structured, provision-by-provision foundation in GST law to support research, teaching, and policy analysis.
Learn from advocates who handle tax and GST matters in practice — not just academic theory.
Course Mentor
Practising in Tax and GST Matters
All Over India
Adv. Pranav Ashutosh practises in tax and GST matters across India, bringing first-hand experience of how registration, compliance, and litigation actually unfold before tax authorities and tribunals. His sessions ground every CGST Act provision in real practice — from reverse charge to input tax credit disputes.
Course Supervisor
Course Supervisor
Advocate, High Court of Jharkhand, Ranchi
Adv. Jha Pranav Kumar is a practising Advocate at the High Court of Jharkhand and serves as Course Supervisor for this programme. He oversees curriculum design, ensures all content meets professional legal standards, and coordinates the practical, provision-by-provision delivery of the course. His courtroom experience ensures the content stays directly relevant to legal practice.
"As a practising CA, I expected another theory-only GST refresher. Instead I got a proper section-by-section walkthrough of the CGST Act — the ITC and Section 17(5) blocked credits module alone was worth the fee. Highly recommend for anyone who actually files returns for clients."
"I run a small manufacturing business and GST compliance always felt like a black box managed entirely by my accountant. This course finally helped me understand registration, invoicing, and reverse charge well enough to ask the right questions and avoid costly mistakes."
"As a final-year law student, this course gave me a structured, exam-ready understanding of GST that my regular coursework never did — constitutional basis, supply, levy, registration, all tied together with practical drafting context. The faculty's litigation experience made every session feel real."
As GST compliance and litigation expand alongside India's growing tax base, structured knowledge of the CGST Act opens advisory, compliance, and litigation roles across industries.
A verifiable e-Certificate of Completion you can add to your resume, LinkedIn profile, and professional portfolio.
A verifiable e-Certificate of Completion on finishing the course — recognised across your professional profile.
Eligible participants get a practical internship opportunity with Legal Research and Analysis to apply what they've learned.
Top-ranked participants receive a Recommendation Letter — a strong addition to your resume and applications.
It's a 6-week online programme from Legal Research and Analysis covering the constitutional basis of GST, the meaning of supply, levy and collection, composition scheme, time and value of supply, input tax credit, registration, invoicing, and returns under the CGST Act, 2017 — taught by practising tax and GST advocates.
The total fee is ₹1,500 only — all-inclusive for all 12 live sessions across 6 weeks. The course runs from 22nd July to 27th August 2026, with classes on Wednesday and Thursday, 8:00–9:00 PM IST. The last date to apply is 21st July 2026.
This course is open to law students, legal practitioners, CA/CS/CMA aspirants and professionals, business owners, corporate compliance officers, finance professionals, entrepreneurs, accountants, tax consultants, and researchers. There is no fixed minimum academic eligibility.
Yes. Session 1 begins with foundational definitions under Section 2 of the CGST Act and builds progressively, so participants without a commerce or law background can follow the course alongside CA/CS/CMA aspirants and legal practitioners.
A taxation course typically covers direct tax — tax on income and profit under the Income Tax Act, administered by the CBDT. A GST course covers indirect tax — tax on the supply of goods and services under the CGST/SGST/IGST Acts, administered by the CBIC. This course combines both perspectives so you understand where direct and indirect tax obligations differ.
This is a private professional certificate course from Legal Research and Analysis — it is not a government-issued licence and does not, by itself, confer GST Practitioner registration, which requires separate enrolment under GST rules. It builds the practical, section-wise knowledge that strengthens both job readiness and exam preparation.
Reverse charge mechanism, under Section 9(3) and 9(4) of the CGST Act, shifts the liability to pay GST from the supplier to the recipient in specified situations, and extends to e-commerce operators under Section 9(5). It is covered in detail in Session 4 of this course.
Yes. Every participant who completes the course receives a verifiable e-Certificate of Completion. Top-ranked participants are also eligible for a Recommendation Letter and an internship opportunity with Legal Research and Analysis.
This certificate supports career paths such as GST Practitioner, Tax Consultant, Indirect Tax Manager in corporate finance teams, GST Compliance Officer, and independent tax litigation practice before appellate authorities and tribunals — and is equally useful for business owners managing in-house GST compliance.
The course is taught by Adv. Pranav Ashutosh, who practises tax and GST matters across India, and supervised by Adv. Jha Pranav Kumar, an Advocate at the High Court of Jharkhand, Ranchi.
Join the Certificate Course on Taxation and GST and learn the CGST Act, 2017 section-by-section from practising tax and GST advocates — for just ₹1,500.
LRA Legal Services Pvt. Ltd. (CIN: U85499UP2024PTC207221) | DPIIT-Recognized Startup | Copyright © 2026