Feeling Overwhelmed by Repeated Salary Questions from Employees? How Do You Handle It?

Hi, Dear All,

Employees are bothering me with excessive questions related to salary calculations. I am working in the automobile service industry. Most of the employees have passed 10th grade or less. I process salary for them. This month, the salary got delayed and changed later on. Employees are bothering me with excessive questions related to salary. I am feeling irritated now when I see any employee coming for salary doubts. Most of the time, they don't understand salary slips and ask the same question again and again.

If I am at the workshop, they always stop me for salary doubts, and they gather in groups of 5 to 7 and start asking questions. I like to help employees in all sorts of matters, but this month, salary-related doubts are making me feel irritated whenever someone comes with questions. Sometimes, I lose my temper with them, which hardly used to happen before.

Dear friends, help me in this situation.

Regards, Pratap M Kamble

Hey, come on. Obviously, they will be worried. Keep yourself in their shoes. Most of them are sole earning members and must be living hand to mouth. Be empathetic.

Pratap, I can understand that repeating the same things like a broken record would be irritating to you. But you have no choice, right? That's your job to answer your employees about their salary, and as you said, they are at most 10th pass or less. It's obvious they would least be able to get your points at one go.

So, work on how you can target these people. Arrange a common meeting in batches along with your heads. Make a note of repetitive questions/doubts they come out with and create a solution. Make it as transparent as possible, making it easy to understand for them.

As Sunayna mentioned, put yourself in their shoes and think about what you would expect. You might come up with answers or really get in touch with people in your industry about the situation, asking how they manage such situations. Maybe the structure is too complex for them to understand, so work it out.

Even though I worked in a manufacturing company where all workers had completed 10th grade and ITI, I had to explain something to one person and asked them to convey the information to others. 😉

Hello,

Don't think like "they are bothering with excessive questions."

It's this way, "They are confused about the salary payment calculations." :-)

Arrange a separate session to help them understand about the salary calculation. Explain to everyone in the group, and you can request them to get their questions clarified in the same session. Also, try covering other topics that they usually come up to you for questions (which you think can be shared - like HR policies).

If possible, put a small note on the notice board that would help them look up to and self-clarify it by themselves (after the session). Make sure you carry a smile with you :-) They trust you...that's why they run to you.

Hi,

Yes, you need to arrange a separate session for employees to explain their salary break-up. It is their right to know about their salary details.

Dilshad

Dear Pratap,

I feel that some employees of your company don't know about their salary break-up. They don't know how you are paying them, what allowances are given, and on what basis you are paying.

First, you need to clarify this yourself because you mentioned that they keep coming back repeatedly. This indicates that even after explaining multiple times, they are unable to understand. Once you are clear, you will have the confidence to explain it to them.

I believe that even after they understand the answer once, they may still come back repeatedly to ask for clarification.

Thank you.

Hello,

Don't think like "they are bothering with excessive questions." It's this way "They are confused about the salary payment calculations." :-)

Arrange a separate session to help them understand about the Salary Calculation. Explain to everyone in the group, and you can request them to get their questions clarified in the same session. Also, try covering other topics that they usually come to you for questions (which you think can be shared - like HR policies).

If possible, put a small note on the notice board that would help them look up to and self-clarify it by themselves (after the session). Make sure you carry a smile with you :-) They trust you... that's why they run to you.

Asha, it's impossible, I know, because I have worked with these workers. They are just 10th pass and don't understand anything such as PF and other stuff, and all they get is angry about any unknown deduction.

Others' failures should not be your failures, and neither should your failure be attributed to others' failures. It is all in how you communicate the message. If you believe it is challenging and that it will not resonate with them, it will not be effective. If they perceive it as unimportant, they will not comprehend it either. The purpose must be clearly communicated, requiring effort in preparation. It is not akin to preparing material for an executive-level session. Do not underestimate their understanding by assuming they have only completed 10th grade and will not grasp it. Let us not blame our tools if we cannot execute it.

I understand it is not an easy task. If all of us are seeking an effortless job, either we are overqualified for our current roles or we are not suitable for the position.

I agree with Asha. You should have separate weekly sessions to explain in detail each component of the salary break-up. In fact, you could cover only one component per session to make sure that they understand each topic extremely well.

Hi,

Sorry for being late. I share from my experience that open communication from your end is crucial. As suggested by some members, have sessions with them and explain the workings by example. Also, please ensure covering:

1. Deductions, particularly in your discussions.
2. Taxation on HRA, Medical, and LTA very specifically.
3. PF and ESIC deductions.

Additionally, make some informed people your agents to handle generic queries.

Thanks,
Pankaj K Patodi

It is better to transcribe the salary calculation procedure (what you tell them orally to help them understand) on paper in a neat and easily understandable manner. Post them on all notice boards and accessible points. I feel it is not good to always call employees to leave their work and come for a chat session. It feels to me like calling the pupils under the banyan tree whenever you like just because you are a manager (a cultured way to underestimate and abuse the general intelligence of human beings). Please do not get frustrated and accept the fact that the communication processes of your company are not very smooth. (PEOPLE FAIL TO UNDERSTAND WHY THIS HAPPENED TO MY SALARY SLIP). And whenever this happens and there is a strong desire to know, the other party will always end up with a spinning head.

Hi,

Every month-end, you can calculate their leave and put it in a notice or divide them into smaller groups and circulate it. Leave deductions will clarify 50% of their doubts. Most of them don't keep track of their leave. This might help them.

You can even prepare a 2-page FAQ for the most commonly asked questions. Either circulate it or put it in a common place. As other members have suggested, you can arrange a session with them.

First, explain the benefits of ESI and PF, then discuss the deductions. Allot some time for them daily. Communicate the timings to them. 20% of the doubts will be common, so they need not come to you every time, especially in the first week.

This will ease your workload and also reduce the anxiety of your staff. Stay cool. Putting everything on track has to be done by every HR.

So, solve queries without any worries! 😛

Hi,

You can follow some action plans to overcome such issues. During the induction, you can conduct a separate session on Payroll and other activities. This would make things easier for you later on.

You can nominate SPOCs in every department and conduct a session for them so that if people have issues, they will contact the SPOC for all queries. However, you would need to ensure that employees do not share the figures on the payslip as it could be an integrity issue.

Regards, Rahul Chhabra

Hi,

If you do not want to get interrupted, place a person between you and the workers. If you are unable to explain things to their understanding, clarify with their supervisors. Supervisors are better equipped to explain because of their experience in dealing with them for a long time. This increases the likelihood that the workers will understand. Encourage the workers to communicate directly with the supervisors. This would be a beneficial step.

In the manufacturing industry, workers cannot easily attend discussions as it would disrupt production. I hope this suggestion proves helpful.

I personally feel you should be taking a small class for a group of people to help them understand the situation and your current predicament in a language they comprehend. I hope this approach works.

Hi Rekha,

I don't know whether it would be possible for your company, but you can consider outsourcing the payroll system.

Regards,
Rekha

Hello Pratap,

Your Problem:
1. Undertrained/Unskilled/Undereducated staff asking repetitive questions regarding salary changes or delays.

Solution:

1. Be prepared to talk to them in Marathi/Hindi, and rather than them coming to you, you go to them.

2. Prepare a list of "Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) & Their Answers" and keep it handy.

3. Prepare a sample "Salary Slip" which contains all the heads and explain each head one by one.

4. Arrange a meeting on the shop floor itself and don't give the venue and the setting too much importance. Give them the answers in their environment because they are more comfortable and less nervous there.

5. By doing so, you will come across as more approachable to the staff and result-oriented to the management.

6. Maintain a pleasant tone throughout. Once you are done with your explanation, tell them to hold and remove your list of FAQs and explain the answers to their PROBABLE questions before they ask any. Once you are done, give them a fixed time for the coming week, say half an hour in the morning or evening, and ask them to meet you then and discuss if they still have any doubts.

If you need any more help, you can contact me at my email: bhavesh.agrawal@SenseHR.com

Have a nice day.

Bhavesh Agrawal
CEO/Founder
SenseHR

Hi Pratap,

Your situation is pretty common to any HR professional. So, instead of getting irritated, if you see things from an employee's point of view, things would be much easier for you. Following are a few steps that you can take to make some progressive changes:

1. Hold a Compensation workshop, preferably with line managers, discussing common queries, salary split of each grade/level, etc.
2. Create a PPT or a Word document with FAQs and other important salary-related info. Put it in a shared folder or intranet so that all employees can refer to it whenever they have doubts.
3. Salary Help desk - After salary disbursal, announce a specific time window (preferably a few hours each day) solely for salary doubts. This would streamline query addressal, and you would not get disturbed all day long.

Hope these suggestions make your life easy.

Regards,
Sushmita

Hi Pratap,

I am UDAY and worked for CONCORDE Motors for 1.5 years. I understand the situation you are in now.

The first thing is to make sure they understand the salary break-up, as one of our colleagues mentioned. Conducting a small training program on this would be beneficial. Avoid using any PowerPoint presentations, as it would be a waste of your time and the employees' time as well. Simply gather them in the training hall, use the blackboard, and explain clearly in your local language. That should be sufficient.

Ensure they comprehend concepts such as PF, ESI, PT, etc. Explain about LOP, unauthorized absence, and its impact on salary as well. This approach will help alleviate some pressure from them.

It can be quite challenging as they might even have inquiries about a single rupee, but remember, we are here to assist them. It is important to set boundaries.

DOs & DON'Ts:

- One important thing: do not allow group queries.
- Only the person requiring information should come to your cabin to inquire.
- Do not permit questions to be asked everywhere in the workshop.
- Questions should only be asked in a specific place and time.
- If you lose your patience, no one will be under your control, and the situation may worsen.

I have followed this practice and succeeded; now they have faith in me. They believe that HR never deceives us. I hope for the best results.

Goodbye.

Here is the corrected and formatted text:

PAY-SLIP
Month & Year: March, 2009
Emp No: OM/H/AD/02

PF A/C No: RJ/14064/167
Name: Mr.
ESIC No.: N/A
Designation: EDP Manager
Bank A/C No: 61032489250
DOJ: 01.08.2007
Department: Administration
Total Payable Days: PL Balance

31 1 Earnings Amount
Deductions Amount
BASIC 9,900
PF 780
HRA 4,125
ESIC -
CON. ALLOW. 2,475
TDS -
SPECIAL ALLOW. -
MOBILE DED. -
OTHER. ALLOW. -
Salary Advance -
SALARY ARREARS -
ANY OTHER 569

Gross Earnings 16,500
ARREARS -
Total Earnings 16,500
Total Deductions 1,349
NET SALARY Rs. 15,151
Mode of Payment: Bank

Shailendra Madhur 😐

Dear Pratap,

I just wanted to add a few more suggestions, which might help you. Keep yourself free for some time in the week where you can solve their problems. Apply time management fundamentals.

Regards,
Prabha :)

Hello Pratap,

I am sure by now you are more confident and will be able to resolve your problem with the suggestions posted by our HR friends.

It is correctly mentioned that the workers must know their basic rights. You need to inform all the workers and not only those who approach you with salary questions about this. Usually, this is done when the workers are recruited and is called "Induction or Orientation," where we tell them about the Company's Rules and Regulations.

I think you should call all the workers together or in batches depending on the total number of workers and:

1. First apologize for the delay in processing the salary (be transparent & professional). I hope you know that as per The Payment of Wages Act, if the number of workers is less than 1000, the wages are to be paid by the 7th of the following month, and if the number of workers exceeds 1000, it should be paid by the 10th of the following month.

2. Explain the Salary Structure (Basic, HRA, Conveyance, deductions (PF/ESI) as shown in the payslips, in the simplest language.

Please remember - Always listen to your workers' queries and reply to them politely. Keep patience. This way, it would help you build a good rapport with them.

Smile and keep celebrating life!!!

Warmest Maya