How Should I Draft a Memo About Salary Deductions for Late Arrivals?

In our company, employees come late every day, but my management insists on deducting their salaries. How should I draft the note? Please help me.

Regards,
RAVI

Dear Ravi,

While issuing a memo or deducting salary, you need to do so under the provisions of the Payment of Wages Act (PWA) and the certified and approved Standing Orders of your company. We need to know under what clause we can deduct the wages under the PWA. When issuing the memo, it is important to quote that clause.

Other members like Mr. TK Madhu, Rajan Associates, will provide you with better advice.

Thanks,

Dinesh V Divekar

Dear Ravi,

You can use the following format, if applicable:

To

it has been brought to my notice that you are in a habit of coming late to work. I have also been informed that you have been reprimanded/warned many times for this lapse on your part. But it seems that these warnings had no effect on you, and you continue to be unpunctual in your attendance. This lapse on your part not only causes a dislocation of work but also undermines the discipline of work, among others.

You are, therefore, advised in writing to come to work on time every day, which is one of the basic conditions of your employment. It is expected that you will be careful in the future.

Yours faithfully,

Authorized signatory.

Hope this will help you out :)

Regards,
Kanupriya

I think before issuing any memo to anyone, you should revise your company's HR policies. Within those policies, you should address this issue so that it applies to all employees.

If you find an employee arriving late for three days, you can deduct half a day's salary from that month. However, please determine the reason for the delay and find a solution for it. As the Senior Head of the factory, I will be present at the gate 15 minutes before the start of the working time. Please remember that when you deduct salary from an employee, you are also losing valuable man-hours crucial for production, which then necessitates additional hours of work.

With regards,
flyingstarter

The memo can be issued as under:

To

____________
____________
____________

Dear Mr. _____________,

It has been brought to our notice that you have reported late to the office for ____ days in the month of _____.

Please note that reporting late to the office or habitual late coming is considered a violation of the service rules of the company. Therefore, your salary for ___ day has been deducted from the salary of ____ month.

We hope that you will consider this positively.

Regards,

___________

Different organizations have different rules and regulations for deducting the salary for late comings. Normally, one should deduct half-day salary for every three days of late coming.

I have shared with the veteran members of the forum earlier that we should try to encourage people to come to the office on time rather than being negative by punishing them.

YOU CAN PUT THE LIST OF THOSE EMPLOYEES ON THE NOTICE BOARD WHO ARE NOT EVEN SINGLE DAY LATE IN THE ORGANIZATION. GIVE THEM SOME GIFTS / CHOCOLATES, ETC.

Regards,

Shreyas Dave
HR Consultant
Al Turki Enterprises LLC
Muscat
Sultanate of Oman
E-mail: shreyas_dave2001@yahoo.co.in

It is with concern that we note you are in the habit of coming late to the office duty, i.e., usually after 10:00 A.M. Following the routine, today again you attended the office after 10:00 A.M.

To Mr./Ms. [Name],

Taking into consideration your intentional habit of joining the office late, management takes this matter very seriously and has decided to mark you absent for [number of] days and deduct the salary for the same.

You are hereby advised to be punctual, to work, and attend the office by 10:00 A.M. (office time); otherwise, management will take strict disciplinary action against you.

Authorized Signatory/T.O. Incharge/Manager P & A

Dear Mr. Ravi Gowda,

First, you have to be very clear about the norms favoring salary deduction. Please serve a REMINDER, MEMO, or NOTICE for LATE COMING, highlighting or referring to your company policy on PUNCTUALITY & TIME MANAGEMENT, only if you haven't done so yet. I hope your company has such a policy; otherwise, prepare it, get it approved, and circulate it to all your employees.

While drafting a MEMO, REMINDER, or NOTICE, please keep the PURPOSE, READER/RECIPIENT, and CONTENT in mind. Please use BUSINESS COMMUNICATION SKILLS for drafting, reflecting the Work Culture, your company's standards, and more. Avoid the REPETITION of words, follow the KISS (KEEP IT SHORT & SIMPLE) format, and use FORMAL (Positive) Language so that we don't make employees REACT but rather respond to the situation or query positively. There are several positive ways to correct employees' mistakes, and the best is POSITIVE MOTIVATION. Please think before following or implementing management instructions because things might go wrong if you do so without analyzing RISK FACTORS POST-IMPLEMENTATION. Avoid grammatical mistakes.

Two formats are posted by Mrs. Kanupriya Vashisht and Mr. Shreyas Dave. Both are good, but you can utilize your drafting skills by incorporating the information provided in the formats.

Letter drafting is a skill that reflects an individual's exposure to Business communication skills and the talent they possess.

Wishing you all the best of luck.

With profound regards,

Khadir
skhadir@rediffmail.com
+974 33682361

Dear all,

The above discussion is fine. I have a query regarding the deduction of half a day's salary for being late. What if there are only 2 instances of lateness instead of 3, and this behavior continues to repeat?

Dear Ms. Asha,

It's quite simple. When you notice a recurring issue with one of your employees, it is advisable to issue a memo as a reminder to avoid repeating the same mistake. If the lateness persists, it may indicate an attitude problem that requires more serious intervention. I suggest establishing a policy to address such issues promptly and without hesitation.

Remember, policies are meant to solve problems, not create them. By using common sense and logical thinking, most issues can be resolved effectively.

With profound regards,
Khadir
Email: skhadir@rediffmail.com

Dear APM 16,

This is an intelligent query. If a person reports to the office late for 2 days and this becomes a continuous practice, even a person who is very regular or really wants to come to the office on time may still be late due to some unavoidable circumstances beyond their control, such as a traffic jam.

In such cases, a leverage of at least 3 days should be given to staff members. Additionally, you must ensure satisfaction by improving the situation through restricting an employee to only 2 instances of late coming from regular or habitual late coming. By implementing a rule of deducting salary for every 3 days of lateness, an employee will likely opt to play it safe and not risk being late for 2 days each time, considering the possibility of facing a salary cut if late for a third time due to unforeseen circumstances.

Regards,

Shreyas Dave HR Consultant Al Turki Enterprises LLC Muscat, Sultanate of Oman E-mail: shreyas_dave2001@yahoo.co.in