IMPORTANT JUDGEMENTS for January 2026

IMPORTANT JUDGEMENTS

 Fixed-term employees are entitled to parity w.r.t. working hours, wages, allowances and other benefits.
2026 LLR 24
GUJARAT HIGH COURT

 No forfeiture of gratuity when the employee was convicted in a cheque bounce case.
2026 LLR 36
PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT

 IC cannot conduct its proceedings at the residence of the complainant.
2026 LLR 59
MADHYA PRADESH HIGH COURT

 Mere deposit of embezzled amount will not absolve an employee of the misconduct.
2026 LLR 1
SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

 Principal employer can't be forced to produce the attendance records of the contrac-tor's workers.
2026 LLR 54
JHARKHAND HIGH COURT

 No conferment of protection to a worker against whom disciplinary proceedings were pending.
2026 LLR 4
DELHI HIGH COURT

 Providing different VRS offers to different employees would not amount to discrimination.
2026 LLR 67
BOMBAY HIGH COURT

 No liability to employ an apprentice in the absence of such provision in the recruitment policy.
2026 LLR 41
DELHI HIGH COURT

 Mere continuation of service of fixed-term employees does not entitle them to regularization in the absence of exploitation.
2026 LLR 24
GUJARAT HIGH COURT

 Retention of company property beyond cessation of employment is illegal.
2026 LLR 49
DELHI HIGH COURT

 Settlement entered into during the course of conciliation is binding on the union which was not a party to it.
2026 LLR 17
KARNATAKA HIGH COURT

 Putting explosives inside an establishment premises is a grave misconduct justifying dismissal.
2026 LLR 46
JHARKHAND HIGH COURT

 Industrial Tribunal to permit representation through advocate when employer was not legally trained.
2026 LLR 9
BOMBAY HIGH COURT

 IC report, if not signed by all the members without sufficient cause, would be unsustainable.
2026 LLR 59
MADHYA PRADESH HIGH COURT

 In matters of wage revision, management cannot cite past losses when it was profitable in recent years.
2026 LLR 30
BOMBAY HIGH COURT

 Contract would not be sham and camouflage merely because the relevant licence was not obtained.
2026 LLR 54
JHARKHAND HIGH COURT

 Status of protected worker can't be granted only because there was employer-employee relationship.
2026 LLR 4
DELHI HIGH COURT

 Employees cannot contend that VRS was obtained by force when they readily accepted it.
2026 LLR 67
BOMBAY HIGH COURT

 Proceedings for determination of dues to only be initiated if EO's report is approved by compliance branch.
2026 LLR 87
BOMBAY HIGH COURT

 No demand of interest when principal amount was recovered and damages were stayed.
2026 LLR 108
JHARKHAND HIGH COURT

 No recovery proceedings can be initiated before the period of limitation for initiating statutory appeal.
2026 LLR 117
MADRAS HIGH COURT

 Principal employer not liable when the labour charges were paid and details of the contractors were supplied to the PF authority.
2026 LLR 82
JHARKHAND HIGH COURT

 100% damages not to be automatically imposed merely because the employer agreed to pay PF dues.
2026 LLR 98
GUJARAT HIGH COURT

 No clubbing of establishments merely because the partner of one firm had joined the other.
2026 LLR 111
CALCUTTA HIGH COURT

 Sale proceeds have to be first applied in satisfaction of PF dues and then secured debt.
2026 LLR 76
SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

 Notice under section 7A, not in prescribed format and without EO report, is bad in law.
2026 LLR 87
BOMBAY HIGH COURT

 Tribunal cannot set aside a demand notice in a mechanical manner.
2026 LLR 102
MADRAS HIGH COURT

 Coercive action to be stayed during appeal's pendency when presiding Officer's charge wasn't extended.
2026 LLR 110
GUJARAT HIGH COURT

 Employee's name and DoB cannot be changed after the last date for filing the higher pen-sion option.
2026 LLR 103
KERALA HIGH COURT

 No criminal prosecution for non-payment of dues and non-cooperation when the person had no knowledge.
2026 LLR 93
CALCUTTA HIGH COURT

 Damages and interest are to only be imposed after affording opportunity and assigning reasons.
2026 LLR 98
GUJARAT HIGH COURT

 EPFO cannot directly initiate attachment of a clubbed entity without issuing them a separate notice.
2026 LLR 95
MADRAS HIGH COURT

 The financial position of the company is to be considered while deciding the aspect of pre-deposit.
2026 LLR 82
JHARKHAND HIGH COURT

 Penalty should be imposed on the EPFO when it prefers appeals belatedly.
2026 LLR 104
MADRAS HIGH COURT

 Damage, penalty and interest are all inter linked based on the principal amount.
2026 LLR 108
JHARKHAND HIGH COURT

 Units having their own machineries and independent functioning cannot be clubbed together.
2026 LLR 111
CALCUTTA HIGH COURT

 Admission of guilt by employee is to be proven by the employer before the Court.
2026 LLR WEB 575
KARNATAKA HIGH COURT

 Heart attack, while returning back from work after feeling unwell, would be said to have arisen out of and during the course of employment.
2026 LLR WEB 576
PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT

 Denial of permanency solely on basis of HIV positive status would be discriminatory.
2026 LLR WEB 577
BOMBAY HIGH COURT

 Excessive control/check on the activities of contract labour would prove that the contract is sham and camouflage.
2026 LLR WEB 578
CALCUTTA HIGH COURT

 A principal employer's general supervision over work performed on its premises does not, by itself, establish a master-servant relationship.
2026 LLR WEB 579
DELHI HIGH COURT

 Clubbing of establishments, merely because of inter se supply of products, is improper.
2026 LLR WEB 580
BOMBAY HIGH COURT

 Industrial tribunals cannot order regularisation beyond the scope of reference or sanctioned posts.
2026 LLR WEB 581
BOMBAY HIGH COURT

 Burden to prove employer-employee relationship lies on workman asserting direct employment.
2026 LLR WEB 583
DELHI HIGH COURT

 Absence of limitation does not revive stale industrial disputes raised after inordinate unexplained delay.
2026 LLR WEB 584
GUJARAT HIGH COURT

 Monetary compensation is equitable substitute for reinstatement of short-term daily-wage workers.
2026 LLR WEB 582
RAJASTHAN HIGH COURT