Is It Necessary to Include Last Names in Employee Records? Seeking Advice on Potential Issues

Request for Inputs on Employee Records

Is it mandatory to mention the last name in employee records? I understand it helps reduce confusion in case there are multiple employees with the same name, but this can be managed as organizations assign a unique employee code to each employee.

Case Study

One of the employees in my organization noticed after one year that his appointment letter and salary slip show his full name (first and last name), whereas his documents—passport and academic documents—state his first name only. Now, he wants us to issue a revised appointment letter or salary slip, or a document stating that the organization has taken note and will issue employment-related documents as per his updated name (i.e., first name only).

Although I do not see any issue in changing the records, as it should have been taken care of at the time of joining itself, I would like to know if it would lead to any other issues.

Regards

To avoid confusion and legal issues, it is better to consider the name mentioned in the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (X class / SSC / SSLC & matriculation, etc.) because this document contains important information such as the date of birth. In general, the majority of organizations consider this as a base document and adhere to it.

Regards,
Kamesh

Consistency in Employee Records

You should always refer to the basic record—preferably the Xth passing certificate—of the candidate or employee and follow the same name pattern in your records. Nobody is authorized to deviate (even in spelling) from the basic records of another person. Many times, while creating various records like PAN, EPF, etc., data is entered by local data entry operators. They may input new spellings, add middle names, surnames, etc., based on what is familiar to them in their native state. This can lead to numerous issues, especially during critical times, further complicating the situation.

There are variations in naming patterns across different parts of our country; it is essential to accommodate this diversity. Therefore, I suggest avoiding any experimentation with other people's names and simply adhering to how their name appears in the basic record.

Regards,
Suresh

If a candidate is selected after an interview, we ask him to furnish all certificates of educational qualification, KYC like PAN, Voter ID, Passport, bank details, etc., before issuing him the final appointment letter. The date of birth is an important aspect when we recruit a candidate. It is always advisable to check all documents, including the secondary school leaving certificate recording the DOB. Whatever name is recorded in all certificates, including KYC documents of the candidate, should be considered his correct and proper name, and accordingly, the appointment letter must be issued (first name first and last name last). On your own, you cannot write the last name first and the second name last. This may lead to a lot of future complications.

In case there is any mismatch of a name noticed in any of the documents as aforementioned, you should advise the candidate to furnish an Affidavit (from a 1st Class Magistrate) to this effect. For the purpose of avoiding unnecessary confusion and future problems, you should mention the full name of the candidate as per the documents furnished by the candidate without any alteration.

The problem posed by you is a common issue. The suggestion of Kamesh 333 can be accepted. For all practical purposes, a candidate's name and date of birth as recorded in the Metric/X pass Certificate/School leaving certificate hold good. I feel the employee who is seeking correction has not taken precautions initially. Pardon him and obtain a declaration along with a certified copy of the Metric/X pass Certificate/School leaving certificate as the base records evidencing his request. The correction can be made with an office order. These documents shall be placed in his Bio-data/History of Service records.

Legal Considerations for Single-Word Names

Is it legally right to have a single-word name as a maiden name with no surname or middle name? In some places, people insist on mentioning a surname.