Navigating Salary and Employee Concerns During Bandh: How Do You Handle It?

It has been observed that a few companies have granted holidays from yesterday until today due to the bandh effect, while the remaining companies are operating. In my last organization, some employees were present even during the bandh. At that time, the present employees questioned me about how salaries would be paid and what would happen with the absent employees. They raised concerns that if salaries were given to all, what would be the value of the present employees?

Salary Management During Holidays

If holidays had been granted, how would salaries need to be managed to prevent any disruptions? Due to the bandh effect, employees are pressuring me for transport services, even though the workers are not requesting it. Management employees are asking for transportation and security in offices and buses, in case of any incidents. It's quite distressing and frustrating to deal with these situations.

ESIC Meeting Concerns

Another example is when I organized an ESIC meeting for the staff, and the speaker was from the government ESIC department. They asked questions such as, "If a person has two wives, how does it work?" and "Why don't ESIC doctors visit companies to provide treatment?"

There always seem to be various issues in the offices, and all employees are united except for me. I find it challenging to bring up these matters to the MD because he is emotionally sensitive due to being similar to the proprietor.

Thank you.

Employee claims are numerous and must align with their expectations. Human Resources must accommodate and establish schedules to address issues with employees. It is essential to exercise "patience" when making fair decisions.

Inter-office Communication for Holidays

Before declaring a holiday, it is crucial to formally send an "Inter-office communication" to ensure no grounds or aftereffects go unnoticed. Since this matter has been raised, promptly address it to clarify the issue. Paying employees for working on a Bandh day is not automatic; it involves risks. Engage with management to handle such decisions, especially regarding these issues. Transportation will be provided only when necessary, particularly during Bharat Bandhs, which pose risks. It is imperative to make staff and workers understand the substantial and tangible losses.

Addressing ESIC Challenges

ESIC poses a common challenge for all employees. Regardless of the number of meetings or sessions conducted, employees will inevitably have queries. HR must stay updated on ESIC knowledge and respond to employee issues promptly. Remember, HR is a people-oriented role.

Thank you.

I think we are off-topic from the bandh issue, so please suggest to me how to deal with the bandh problem. Today, a few people came to the office, and the remaining employees are absent. My question is, "Can I mark all employees as present or not?" If I mark the absent employees as present, the present employees may question me. What should I do?

Thank you.

Handling Employee Attendance During a Bandh

Ashoknegidi,

I think we are off-topic from the bandh issue, so please suggest to me how to deal with the bandh problem. Today, a few people came to the office, and the remaining employees are absent. My question is, "Can I mark all employees as present or not?" If I mark the present employees, they may question me, so what should I do?

Ashok,

Have you circulated or announced to all the staff that these two consecutive days are closed due to the bandh? If yes, then you need not mark any employee as present as it is a declared bandh. If concerned employees ask you about their attendance, you have a valid reason to explain.

Regards,
Ashoknegidi

We have not circulated the information to all staff. How should we handle this? The night shift is starting today, and the employees will likely question me about it.

Thank you.

You may see this as a challenge. I suggest you check with your management regarding the above-mentioned circumstance, as they would provide comprehensive guidance to the staff. Do not make a decision on your own, as it may seem unusual; instead, seeking your boss's opinion shows that you are following their instructions.

If the management has decided to work and the employee has not attended the office due to a bandh, you can mark them as absent or ask them to work on another day as compensation. This can be communicated by sending a circular to the employees who did not attend and cc'ing the management.

Regards,
Lakshmi

A frequent HR practice observed in most other companies is to pay compensatory offs, which is compensation paid to employees to adjust factors without affecting productivity. You may follow the procedure of sending a circular to the employees who are absent from work during a bandh despite being called to duty. Make sure that whatever decision is taken should be communicated to the management for further correspondence.

Regards

Thank you for your reply regarding HR practices. As the bandh has been previously announced, it is the management who has to decide on the declaration of leave or work. As HR professionals, we can only suggest to the management, and once a decision is made by the management, it can be circulated. If the management has not yet decided, then the employees are put into trouble. HR can only support the right decision.

Regards,
Lakshmi

As far as my understanding goes, from what I have read, if the company has informed all the employees that we are observing holidays on the bandh days, then the company will have to pay them normally as it is a holiday declared by the company.

Now, onto your second paragraph. Regarding your previous company, if the company has declared a bandh and the employees still showed up, they should have been asked to go back as the company had declared a holiday. In the second scenario, if the company has not given any holiday on the bandh days, then only the employees present are eligible to receive salaries, and not the others. Also, in the latter case, if the company policy allows for leave adjustment, then adjust it. Otherwise, inform them that you were absent on those days and leave cannot be adjusted. Additionally, if you have not previously informed them about the company's bandh policy, you may have to face consequences. Stay calm when facing the situation and learn from it.

I am in agreement with Sharmila. Since you had not declared anything prior to the Bandh, there is no question of sanctioning any special leave to all those who were absent. Mark them absent and ask them to apply for leave. However, before doing this, confide in your boss.

In my organization, there was mass absenteeism due to the 'shoot-at-sight' order proclaimed by the Chief Minister on TV in the aftermath of Indira Gandhi's assassination. The union demanded special casual leave. The case dragged on for years, but ultimately, the management required every employee to apply for leave for the days they were absent.

Regarding the silly questions asked by people, I would like to inform you that there are all sorts of people. Some may be doing this intentionally to enjoy your annoyance! Therefore, remain calm and polite but be firm in your views.

Regards,
S.K. Limaye MBA/HRM