Labour welfare officers are appointed under the Factories Act of 1948 to act as advisors, counselors, and mediators between management and labour in factories employing 500 or more workers. Their duties include assisting management with labour welfare policies, ensuring compliance with labour laws, counseling workers, resolving disputes, administering wages, and maintaining good relations between workers and management. They also liaise between workers, management, and external agencies to promote harmonious industrial relations and enforce various acts. Their counseling role is especially important today to help workers manage stress, depression, and anxiety arising from workplace and personal issues.

2. o They are appointed under Schedule 49 of the
Factories Act, 1948. This Act also prescribes
qualifications for labour welfare officers.
o They are expected to act as advisor, counselor
and mediator between management and
labour.
o In a factory employing 500 or more workers,
at least one labour welfare officer is to be
appointed.

3. The growth of industry necessitated
increased labour welfare measures
which the state could not always
provide. Earlier, labour welfare officers
were employed by benevolent
employers to act as a social worker
and recruitment officer. Later, it was
made a statutory requirement.

4. Duties of Labour Welfare Officer
• Assists the management in framing labour
welfare policies.
• Helps the different departmental heads in an
organization to meet their obligations under the
various acts. (thus, ensuring implementation of
labour laws)
• Acts as a counselor in problems relating to
personal matters, adjustment with environment
and in making them understand their rights and
privileges.

5. • Supervision of safety, health and welfare
programmes like housing, recreation,
sanitation etc.
• Redress of grievances of workers. Peaceful
settlement of disputes.
• Wage and salary administration.
• Maintaining good relations between workers
and management.

6. To liaise means to act between parties with a
view to reconcile differences. It means to
communicate, mediate and cooperate. Labour
Welfare Officer has a function of liaising with
workers and management so that both these
groups understand the need for harmonious
industrial relations and so also that both these
groups understand each other’s perspective.
He also acts as a liaison between
establishment and outside agencies such as
factory inspector and medical officers to help
in enforcement of various Acts.

7. The counseling function of Labour Welfare
Officer has great importance in today’s time.
The workers may be stressed, depressed,
suffering from anxiety arising out of various
workplace related issues like managing
deadlines, meeting targets, lack of time to fulfill
personal and family commitments. Sometimes,
only welfare measures are not sufficient to cope
up. These personal problems, if not cured, may
develop into more serious issues like drug
abuse, increased accident rate etc.