How Should We Handle a Dispute Over Unpaid Salary After Termination? Seeking Advice

Dear Seniors, I am working in a Construction Company as HR & Admin. Our Company has worksites in Gujarat State. We appointed an Engineer for our site at Halvad in Gujarat on January 16th, 2013. One of our Company Managing Partners terminated him while he was visiting the site on February 23rd, 2013.

The Engineer left the worksite immediately. Our site accountant provided traveling allowances at the time. After one week, our company site accountant transferred his salary to his bank account. However, at the time, the accountant did not take any written letter on behalf of the Engineer.

Now, the Engineer has sent a letter to my Company MD. In this letter, he mentioned that he joined the organization and has been working continuously since then. He stated that he has only received one month's salary and requested his salary to be brought up to date. This is a brief overview of his letter. Please provide your valuable advice regarding this matter.

Thank you.

There is a procedure to adhere to while terminating an employee. Basically, it's not followed or properly closed in this case. So now you have to handle this by sending a detailed letter as a reply to him, stating his absence from work from the last day of working with the help of a consultant. Try to get as many details about the salary paid/disbursement details, attendance sheet, summary, logbook, etc., of all employees to substantiate his absence from work. Do it amicably and sort out the issue. It's better to create a system to address these types of issues in the future.

Regards.

Depositing the salary in his bank account is acceptable. He can't claim not having received the salary. Don't worry, send the letter stating that his salary has been credited into his account.

It is interesting to read how terminations take place in your company: "We have appointed an Engineer for our site at Halvad in Gujarat on January 16th, 2013. One of our company Managing Partners terminated him while he was on his site visiting program on February 23rd, 2013. The Engineer left the work site immediately."

Now, what can you do? Just tell your MD—if he asks—that "our company Managing Partner terminated him while he was on his site visiting program on February 23rd, 2013," and "Our company site account gave his salary through a bank account."

That is all you need to do! You do not come into the picture at all!

Warm regards.