China’s Labor Law was adopted in 1994 and subsequently amended in 2009 and 2018. This page presents selected employer-relevant articles, newly translated from the 2018 amended Chinese text, with practical context. It is not a complete statutory translation. Employers must also check more specific subsequent legislation, including the Labor Contract Law, implementing regulations and local standards. For practical application, read China labor law for foreign employers.
Official Chinese original: 中华人民共和国劳动法（2018年修正）. Reviewed: 26 October 2026. Original translation of selected articles; not a certified full text.
Table of Contents
Fundamental employment rights — Articles 2–4
Selected articles, independently translated: The law applies to employment relationships between workers and organizations within its scope. Employees are entitled to remuneration, rest and leave, occupational health and safety protection, social insurance and dispute remedies. Employers must establish and improve lawful rules that protect employees’ rights and allow them to fulfill their responsibilities.
Employer application and later rules: Build an employee handbook and HR procedures on mandatory legal protections.
Equal opportunities and recruitment — Articles 12–15
Selected articles, independently translated: Employees are not to be discriminated against in employment on the grounds identified by the law; women have equal rights to employment subject to legally established exceptions for particular work. The law also prohibits employment of children under 16, save for narrowly regulated activities.
Employer application and later rules: Check recruitment criteria, job advertisements, document checks and age verification.
Employment agreements — Articles 16–19
Selected articles, independently translated: A labor contract is an agreement establishing an employment relationship and specifying the parties’ rights and obligations. Such contracts must comply with law and are binding when duly made. The Labor Law identifies written contract requirements and core topics including job duties, labor conditions and remuneration.
Employer application and later rules: For current contracting requirements, apply the later Labor Contract Law and its implementing rules rather than treating this older chapter as exhaustive.
Duration, probation and agreed termination — Articles 20–24
Selected articles, independently translated: The Labor Law addresses fixed-term and other labor contracts, probation, confidentiality and termination by mutual agreement. These are foundational provisions rather than the complete present-day rules on permissible contract terms.
Employer application and later rules: Current probation limits, open-ended contracts and severance rights must be checked under later specific legislation.
Termination protections — Articles 25–32
Selected articles, independently translated: The law describes specified employer termination grounds, processes for certain organizational or employee-related circumstances, and employee termination rights. The conditions and procedural protections must be assessed alongside later labor-contract legislation.
Employer application and later rules: Do not terminate employment from a one-paragraph summary; verify grounds, notices, union involvement and compensation.
Collective agreements — Articles 33–35
Selected articles, independently translated: An enterprise and its employees may enter into collective agreements covering matters such as remuneration, working time, rest, occupational safety and benefits. Properly established collective agreement terms can bind the enterprise and its workers and set standards not to be undercut by individual contracts.
Employer application and later rules: See the Trade Union Law for union consultation and representation obligations.
Working hours, overtime and leave — Articles 36–45
Selected articles, independently translated: The Labor Law text refers to a daily eight-hour limit and an older weekly 44-hour average (Article 36). Article 38 requires at least one weekly rest day. Article 44 specifies at least 150% pay for extended hours, 200% for work on a rest day where compensatory rest is not provided, and 300% for statutory holiday work.
Employer application and later rules: Current standard working-hour arrangements generally use a 40-hour week under later State Council rules. Specialized working-time schedules can require approval. Do not apply the older 44-hour wording as a normal current payroll schedule.
Wages and minimum wage — Articles 46–51
Selected articles, independently translated: The law provides for equal pay for equal work, a minimum-wage protection system with locally set standards, monetary wage payment at least monthly and restrictions on wrongful withholding or unjustified late payment. It also addresses pay for statutory holidays and specified leave.
Employer application and later rules: Check local minimum-wage notices and actual payroll cycles. For statistical definitions, see total wages composition rules.
Occupational safety — Articles 52–56
Selected articles, independently translated: Employers must establish occupational health and safety systems, apply applicable standards, provide necessary protective equipment and take measures to prevent accidents and occupational hazards. Certain hazardous jobs call for specific training and qualification.
Employer application and later rules: Further detailed duties appear under the Work Safety Law.
Female and young workers — Articles 58–65
Selected articles, independently translated: The law recognizes additional occupational protection for female employees and younger workers. Its maternity-related text reflects an older 90-day baseline; it must not be used instead of subsequent special rules.
Employer application and later rules: Under the later Special Rules on Female Employee Protection, the national baseline is 98 days, potentially supplemented by local entitlements.
Vocational training — Articles 66–69
Selected articles, independently translated: The law promotes occupational training and calls on employers to establish training systems, provide appropriate funds in accordance with national requirements, and arrange training for technical positions before employees begin the relevant work.
Employer application and later rules: Industry and occupation-specific certification rules must be verified separately.
Social insurance and disputes — Articles 70–79
Selected articles, independently translated: The law establishes the framework for pension, illness, work injury, unemployment and maternity protections; employers and employees must participate in and contribute to social insurance as the law requires. It also recognizes consultation, mediation, arbitration and litigation channels for labor disputes.
Employer application and later rules: Contribution rates depend on the city and period. Later dispute rules govern current deadlines; do not rely on older limitation periods found in the original Labor Law.
Labor inspection and employer liability — Articles 85–95
Selected articles, independently translated: Labor administration authorities supervise compliance and may order correction of violations. The law identifies consequences for unlawful workplace rules, unpaid wages and interference with worker rights, subject to applicable law and enforcement procedures.
Employer application and later rules: Maintain accurate contracts, employment files, attendance records and payroll evidence. A professional legal review remains necessary for disputes and enforcement cases.
Official source and scope
Read the complete Chinese Labor Law (2018 amended text). This selection is designed to explain employer-relevant provisions, not to override specialized later laws or guarantee any legal result.
Translations are prepared directly from the cited Chinese original for general information, not copied from an existing English legal translation. Confirm live legal requirements with qualified counsel.
