Construction labour muster roll and daily-wage attendance register
Construction labour attendance means recording, every day and at the site, which daily-wage worker was present, for a full day or a half-day, and at which site. It has to work where there is no network, for gangs that change from week to week, and for workers who share similar names. Done right, the muster roll feeds the wage sheet directly, with advances recovered inside the legal limit.
Part of our guide: Attendance and wages app for construction labour contractors
By HaazriPro Team · Last updated
Why is attendance on construction sites so hard to get right?
- Gangs change. A gang leader brings eight people on Monday and eleven on Thursday, some of them new.
- Similar names. Two Rajus and a Rajesh in one gang, marked from memory at the end of the day.
- Several sites. Workers move between your sites as the work demands.
- No network. Basements, new towers and remote sites often have no mobile signal.
- Cash advances. Advances are handed out on site and remembered differently on pay day.
Each of these turns into a wage dispute or an over-payment at month end. The fix is the same for all of them: one mark per worker per day, made at the site, against the right person.
What should a daily muster record?
| Field | Why |
|---|---|
| Worker (with a code and photo, not just a first name) | Stops wrong-row marks and ghost workers. |
| Site | Workers move between sites; wages and costs belong to a site. |
| Status: present, half-day, absent, overtime, transferred | Each one pays differently. |
| Overtime hours, if any | Overtime is paid at not less than twice the normal rate under the Code on Wages. |
| Who marked it, and when | Shows when a day was filled in later. |
The statutory format depends on the rules that apply to you. For the central sphere, the OSH (Central) Rules, 2026 prescribe an attendance register-cum-muster roll in Form XIV, which can be kept electronically. Other establishments follow their state's rules. See which registers a contractor must keep.
How should half-days be handled for daily-wage workers?
Carefully. Section 10 of the Code on Wages, 2019 says that if a worker whose minimum wage is fixed by the day works less than a normal working day, he is entitled to the full day's wage, unless the shortfall is caused by his own unwillingness to work (or other cases the rules prescribe). So when rain stops work or materials do not arrive, cutting the day to a half-day may not be lawful. A half-day mark is fair when the worker chose to leave early or came late by choice. Record the reason, and check your state's rules with your consultant.
Worked example: one worker's month
A worker on ₹650 a day, with 22 full days, 3 half-days (left early by choice) and a ₹3,000 advance:
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Days paid (22 + 3 × ½) | 23.5 days |
| Wages (23.5 × ₹650) | ₹15,275.00 |
| Advance recovered | −₹3,000.00 |
| Net paid | ₹12,275.00 |
The Code on Wages caps all deductions in a wage period at 50% of the wages, so here they could not exceed ₹7,637.50. The ₹3,000 advance is well inside it. Try your own numbers in the staff salary calculator, and see how to handle advances without disputes.
How do you take attendance where there is no network?
Do not depend on a live connection. A paper muster works offline but invites back-filling and mix-ups. Some apps need a signal to save a mark. What you want is an app that saves every mark on the phone first and sends it when the phone next finds a network, without creating duplicates when it does.
What about the building workers' cess and welfare board?
Under the Code on Social Security, 2020, a cess of between 1% and 2% of the cost of construction (as notified) is collected from the employer undertaking building or other construction work, for the welfare of building workers. Building workers aged 18 to 60 who have worked at least 90 days in building or other construction work in the past twelve months are to be registered as beneficiaries with the Building Workers' Welfare Board. A clean attendance record is what shows those 90 days. Who pays the cess on your project, and how workers register, depends on the contract and the state, so confirm with your consultant.
How does attendance tie into the weekly or monthly wage run?
Many construction workers are paid weekly or fortnightly rather than monthly. The Code on Wages allows wage periods of up to a month and sets a deadline for each: weekly wages on the last working day of the week, fortnightly wages before the end of the second day after the fortnight, monthly wages by the 7th of the next month. Whatever the period, close the muster for it first, then work out wages from it, then recover advances. Never the other way round.
How do you stop ghost workers and proxy marks in gangs?
- Register every worker individually on their first day, with a photo, even if they came through a gang leader.
- Mark each person, not the gang. "Gang of 9 present" cannot be checked; nine individual marks can.
- Mark at the site, at the start of work, not at the end of the day or the week.
- Pay into bank accounts where you can, so each wage goes to the person who earned it.
- Watch for late entries. Days filled in afterwards are where mistakes and padding hide. See how to catch back-filled attendance.
Sources
- Code on Wages, 2019, sections 10, 14, 18 and 23 (India Code)
- Code on Social Security, 2020, sections 100 and 106 (building workers' cess and beneficiaries) (India Code)
- OSH and Working Conditions (Central) Rules, 2026, rule 72 (registers) (eGazette)
- PIB, 21 Nov 2025: the four Labour Codes made effective
This guide explains the rules in plain language. It is not legal or tax advice. Laws and rates change, so check your state's rules and confirm with your labour consultant before you act on it.
Turn daily attendance into salary sheets and client bills
Supervisors mark attendance by tapping each staff member's face photo, even offline. The salary sheet and the client bill are ready at month end.
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