Navigating Salary Register Signatures and Handling Surprise Labor Inspections: What Should HR Know?

My dear seniors,

I have the following queries, please solve them.

1. Is there any statutory/legal requirement to get the sign of employees in salary registers? Nowadays, salaries are credited directly to bank accounts. What is the logic behind obtaining a signature in salary registers? Will there be any complications if we don't take signs?

2. Recently, there was a labor officer's inspection, and although we were ready to show the registers, we were handed a paper listing the required registers to be taken to their office. It was also stated that if we did not comply with showing the registers within 15 days, necessary action would be taken.

My query is, when an inspector hands us such a paper despite our readiness to show the registers, can we object to that? What are the things we should take care of if there are sudden inspections in the company? I hope the answers to the above will help many HR people.

Expecting a good response.

Thanks and regards.

Dear,

According to the Payment of Wages Act, 1936, you are advised to take written authorization for depositing the salaries of the employees into their bank accounts. If this procedure is adopted, there is no need to take the signature of the employees on the wages register. For more details, you can also refer to section 6 of this Act.

Every inspecting officer has the power to call for information and production of records for inspection. If they have deliberately not seen the records in your office and have asked you to produce the records in their office, you may take up the matter with the higher authority. Most states have issued guidelines for inspections; in that case, they come for inspection after giving proper notice. You should always be prepared for the inspection of relevant labor law records. Failure to produce the required records may lead the labor officer to prosecute you for non-production of records under the law in which you have been asked to produce the records.

Submitted as requested.

Regards, R.N.Khola
Skylark Associates, Gurgaon (Haryana)
(Labor Law & Legal Consultants)
09810405361

Dear Narayanakhila,

Labour Inspector can verify the documents only after giving proper notice regarding the same. If not you may ask for the Notice first. There is no need to sign salary register if salary goes directly to the employee's bank account – you may collect the proof of that to make him satisfy.

Regards

Pankaj Chandan