Understanding Minimum Wages Return: Is Total Wages Paid in Cash the Take-Home Amount or Just Gross Wages?

Query on Minimum Wages Return (FORM-III)

I have a query related to Minimum Wages Return (FORM-III) Sr. No. 5 - Total Wages Paid in Cash. Will it be Take-Home (Gross Wages - PF - ESI) or will it be only Gross Wages?

Thank you.

It should be gross wages paid only. In all other forms, wherever mention is made about wages, it should be taken as gross wages only. Also, please do not consider the CTC, which is outside the purview of all these mandatory or statutory forms.

Regards,
Madhu.T.K

Dear Madhu Sir,

Should we also include the wages paid to contractual employees in the minimum wage annual return? Secondly, as we know that the salary limit under the Payment of Wages Act is ₹18,000, should we only count employees drawing wages less than ₹18,000 per month as the "Number of Man-days worked during the year," or should we include all employees irrespective of salary?

Regards, Dinesh Kumar

Wherever reference to wages and the number of workers is made in any return, you have to consider the total number of workers and the wages paid to them. You can exclude only managers' salaries from it. Therefore, in the returns, you should list all employees, whether they are paid 18000 or more. Of course, you can genuinely exclude those with managerial rights from the list of employees.

Madhu.T.K