Worried About Consequences After Submitting Falsified LTA Bills? Seeking HR Advice on Next Steps

Dear HR professionals and seniors,

I am not in my organization's HRD. I have received a SCN asking for reasons why falsified LTA bills were submitted to get IT benefit. I have accepted and apologized. Now they want it as a reply to SCN in written form. May I know the consequences? I am worried about HR's next step.

Thank you.

Dear friend,

A Show Cause Notice is a statutory disciplinary action against an employee by the Management of the Company for committing any irregularity, either administrative or financial. The Disciplinary Authority will serve the SCN along with imputations of misconduct and material evidence thereon. It is mandatory on the part of the Accused Officer to submit an explanation within the stipulated time. If you are not at fault, explain clearly the circumstances leading to the issue, your responsibility, your part, and your innocence, together with material evidence, to the Disciplinary Authority to proceed further. If you are really at fault, give a categorical explanation admitting your fault and accept the punishment inflicted by the Disciplinary Authority. You can also plead innocence and pray for pardon or excuse as a first mistake and request the Disciplinary authority to take a lenient view against you in the matter. It is up to the Disciplinary Authority to take a suitable decision on the circumstances of the case/charges framed against you.

Suri Babu Komakula

Dear Victim,

Let me inform you that you are not the only one who does this; most of the employees do it to claim such benefits if that is required to claim reimbursement.

Your organization is at fault for promoting this kind of mandatory provision for proof of traveling. If that is an allowance, it's merely a fill-in-the-blank provision.

The organization should have corrected its practices and informed its employees about the means and methods applied and when an employee will be eligible to claim such benefits if they are seriously following the provisions of Income Tax. Moreover, I suggest companies should not find fault with employees because it's part of the assured income for the employee that they should be entitled to by all means as deemed fit. This does not mean to catch employees on the wrong foot to intimidate them by alleging wrongdoing, issuing show cause, building a case, and pardoning them but keeping a record for future action. All these are old-age practices.

Your HR should have matured enough to understand the bad repercussions of this scheme on other employees. HR should not suppress employees' lawful rights just for the sake of some documents and then start tracking employees into traps.

Very bad, and it should be condemned.

Badlu

Hi, first of all, I would like to appreciate you for accepting the mistake and request for an apology. Usually, based on a delinquent employee's response towards the Show Cause Notice (SCN), management can either issue a charge sheet and punishment or drop the case. The punishment will be as per the Company Standing Orders. However, management can show leniency towards your case. Be relaxed and face it...

Dear Badlu Sir,

Thank you very much for your kind words. In my last meeting with the GM HR (before issuing this SCN), he clearly told me, "I know there will be hundreds of bills like yours. I'm not going to check all. I found yours and want to send a strong message to other employees." I had nothing to say except sorry and apologies. Is this fair coming from the mouth of such a senior person?