Feeling Stuck: How Can I Resolve My Unpaid Shift Allowance Issue at Work?

I need some guidance here. I work for a reputed company called EMC2 in Bangalore. I occasionally work on weekends (Saturday/Sunday) and claim a shift allowance per the company policy (INR 2500). I noticed in the current month's payslip that the shift allowance for my work on one of the weekends has not come through. When I intimated my then manager (I have a new manager now), he did not reply to me. When I escalated to the HR in my department, she told me that she would look at it and revert. It's been 3 weeks, and no result. Instead, I have been made to move in circles.

I had a slight miss while filling up the shift allowance sheet. I missed selecting "shift allowance" in another tab by mistake. It is for the managers to verify and double-check the claims before releasing them to the finance department. My manager neglected it.

However, I submitted my time card on time against that effort, sent an earlier intimation via email before my actual work on the weekend, and filled in the comment tab of the shift allowance mentioning the date.

I clearly intimated the same thing in all my corresponding emails to the department HR and managers. However, no one is willing to help. My ex-manager is not responding, even when I ask him for a meeting to sort it out (as my current manager suggested I do).

He is even treating me differently ever since I raised a voice in a professional way that I am not given enough training in my field, because of which I feel I am lagging in my skills. Since then, he has been misbehaving towards me. I even completed an Expert certification, and he never acknowledged my effort. I have always been well-recognized by the onsite resources (managers and project managers in the US), and they have praised my work all the time. So, I am not an underachiever. For others, it is a norm to forward such achievements to the entire team. Sorry for being sidetracked. My only concern now is to get my shift allowance. That is my hard-earned money, and if denied, it will not be justified.

Next Steps

What should be my next step? Whom should I escalate to? Kindly let me know. I am at a loss.

Thanks in advance.

While empathizing with your situation, please clarify if you asked your present manager for suggestions since it was he who suggested you approach the earlier manager for redressal. I think your present manager can take up the issue and escalate it on your behalf. Just because the incident happened before his tenure doesn't mean he can't address it. If there's any chance for anyone within your company to handle it, it has to be him for the simple reason that he will be the one working with you going forward. It's in both your and his interest. A dissatisfied employee is not what any boss desires if he can help it.

Please suggest to him, but at the same time, don't use this same language in which I wrote this response. It's more likely to be perceived as a 'threat' from you rather than resolving the issue. Tone it down and put across the point subtly. Hope you get the point.

All the Best.

Regards, TS

It is quite unfortunate that this simple matter has been blown out of proportion. What surprises me is that it should happen in a company like EMC2. Another surprise is that your HR is also sitting pretty idle on the matter even when you approached them. Now as an immediate measure, I recommend that you take a printout of all the correspondence that you had with whoever you were in contact with. Wait for some time to check whether your allowance gets credited. If not, then approach the Head of HR. If they do not take any action, then escalate to the MD. If no action is taken, you have two choices. One is to forgo the shift allowance. The second is to send a lawyer's notice for illegally withholding the shift allowance. However, please note that choosing this option may anger the authorities and they may start causing trouble for you, possibly risking your employment.

For Sateesh: Please review paragraph three of Abhinay's post. He approached his current manager who directed him to his ex-manager. This appears to be shirking responsibilities. When a matter reaches HR, whether the allowance is routed through a manager or not should not matter. The HR Head has the authority to sanction the allowance using legitimate power. However, it is doubtful if the matter has even reached the Head of HR.

For all HR Professionals: This is a classic case study on employee motivation, organizational culture, and the causes of employee attrition. Abhinay's case may just be one example among many similar incidents within the company. This instance highlights the gap between the values, vision, and employee engagement jargon and the actual practices. It also exposes the shortcomings of big brands. The fact that an employee has to go through such lengths for a rightful allowance is disheartening.

Final Comments: This situation also emphasizes the importance of labor unions. It is doubtful that HR or any manager would neglect a worker's rightful demand if it were a unionized company. The reluctance of those in the IT and BPO sectors towards trade unions is puzzling. People often choose to suffer silently rather than seek assistance from external agents. When will they realize the need for support?

Thanks,

Dinesh V Divekar