Notes from the people side
Practical guides for HR teams in India, and honest notes on how and why we build ZekoHR the way we do. Written by the team, not a content farm.
Recruitment is now in ZekoHR, on every plan
ZekoHR now runs hiring end to end: a Kanban pipeline you configure, an email to the candidate at every step, panel scorecards, offers and joining.
· 5 min read
The HR and payroll compliance calendar for October and November 2026
Minimum wage revisions, the first EPF return at ₹25,000, Form 138, state labour code rules, the bonus deadline and DPDP: every date for the next eight weeks.
· 6 min read
DPDP's November milestone: what it means for your employee data
The DPDP Rules hit their one-year mark in mid-November 2026. What switches on, what still waits for May 2027, and a checklist for employee data.
· 6 min read
Labour codes: states have until 31 October. What employers should do now
The Centre expects every state and UT to notify labour code rules by 31 October 2026. What is settled, what is still open, and an employer checklist.
· 7 min read
EPF wage ceiling is now ₹25,000: what payroll must change
From 17 September 2026 the EPF wage ceiling rose from ₹15,000 to ₹25,000. Who it brings in, how contributions change, and an employer checklist.
· 7 min read
PoSH complaints are rising at India's biggest companies. What small employers should learn
Nifty 50 companies reported 1,327 PoSH complaints in FY26, up 4.6%. What the numbers say, why more reports can be good news, and a checklist for small firms.
· 6 min read
Why we publish our security gaps
Our trust page lists what we have not built yet, in public. Here is why we think that is the only honest way to sell software that holds people's salaries.
· 2 min read
HR metrics that matter for small teams
Five HR metrics worth tracking in a small Indian company: headcount, attrition, time-to-fill, leave utilisation and payroll accuracy, computed by hand.
· 4 min read
HR basics for first-time managers
What new managers in India need to know about approving leave fairly, running 1:1s, keeping written records, and when to bring HR into a situation.
· 4 min read
One employee record
The architecture bet under ZekoHR: leave feeds attendance feeds payroll from a single record, what that costs us in flexibility, and what it buys in truth.
· 4 min read
Why private companies need a whistleblower policy
The case for a whistleblower channel in unlisted Indian companies: anonymity, tracking codes, who investigates, and real anti-retaliation protection.
· 4 min read
Building HR software people don't hate
What "mobile-first for the employee, not the HR admin" means in practice: self-service first, respectful notifications, one daily digest at most.
· 3 min read
PoSH Act basics for small companies
What the PoSH Act 2013 requires of Indian employers: when an Internal Committee is needed, its composition, complaint timelines and employer duties.
· 4 min read
New versus old tax regime: what HR and payroll must actually do
The employer's duties when employees choose a tax regime: defaults, declaration timing, and what changes in monthly TDS computation.
· 4 min read
Employee document checklist for Indian hires
What to collect at hire in India: identity, address, education and employment proofs, plus expiry tracking, verification and storage responsibilities.
· 4 min read
An expense policy that prevents fights
How to write an expense policy people can actually follow: categories, limits, receipts, approval chains by amount, advances and GST capture.
· 4 min read
Probation and confirmation without the ambiguity
Typical probation lengths in India, what confirmation should actually mean, how to extend probation properly, and handling leave during probation.
· 4 min read
Attendance policy basics for Indian companies
How to define present, half-day, absent, weekly-off and holiday states, handle regularisation requests, and link attendance cleanly to payroll.
· 4 min read
Salary structure explained: basic, HRA, allowances and why the split matters
What basic pay, HRA and allowances actually do in an Indian salary structure, why the basic percentage matters, and a worked example for ₹6 LPA.
· 3 min read
The free year, explained
Why ZekoHR's trial is 365 days free for up to 50 employees: evaluating HR software honestly takes one full annual cycle, so that is what we give.
· 4 min read
Offboarding and full and final settlement done properly
How to run an orderly exit in India: notice period, knowledge transfer, asset return, FnF components including leave encashment and gratuity, and timelines.
· 4 min read
PF and ESI basics every employer should know
A plain guide to Provident Fund and ESI for Indian employers: who must register, common wage thresholds, contribution splits and frequent mistakes.
· 4 min read
Employee onboarding checklist for Indian companies
A day-minus-7 to day-30 onboarding checklist covering offer, PAN and Aadhaar collection, assets, policy sign-off, a buddy and the 30-day check-in.
· 4 min read
TDS declarations, explained for both sides of the table
How investment declarations work for employees and payroll teams: declare versus verify, proof windows, and why verified amounts should drive TDS.
· 3 min read
Why our pricing page is an API call
Our pricing page fetches the same catalog our billing system charges from, so the website cannot lie. On what that constraint does to a company.
· 3 min read
Restricted holidays explained
What restricted holidays are, why Indian companies need them, how many to offer, and how the approval flow should work in practice.
· 4 min read
A monthly payroll runbook for small companies
A practical month-by-month payroll checklist for small Indian companies, covering cutoffs, inputs, pre-checks, verification, publishing and records.
· 3 min read
A leave policy that actually works in India
How to structure earned, casual and sick leave for an Indian company, with sample numbers, accrual rules, carry-forward limits and restricted holidays.
· 4 min read