Understanding Pay Penalty: Will My Salary Increments Be Restored After 4 Years?

Kindly explain what this penalty would mean: "Reduction by four stages in a time scale of pay for a period of 4 years with further instruction that during such period, he will not earn increments of pay. This will have an impact on postponing the future increment of pay."

My doubt is, are the four increments lost forever? Upon completion of the 4-year penalty, will the pay be restored by 4 increments? No annual increment is earned during the 4 years of penalty, but will the reduced 4 increments be restored?

On completion of 4 years, only the employee will start earning increments. That means, in the fifth year, he will get one increment, and again in the following year, he will get another increment. Finally, after the 8th year, he will reach the salary stage where he was at the time the penalty was awarded to him.

Regards,
Madhu.T.K

Reduction by four stages is a stringent penalty. Please go through the correct inquiry and the final orders passed. Because, after reducing by four stages, the punishment should be revoked and the status quo maintained; otherwise, the punishment becomes cumulative, which is harsh on an employee. If, at the retirement stage, it is found to be too harsh, such a penalty will not be beneficial for the organization or the officer who penalized the employee.

Best of luck...

On reading the facts, I have doubts in mind. Looking at the nature of the penalty stated in the post, I think there appears to be a two-way penalty imposed:

1. Reduction in time scale by 4 stages for 4 years
2. Non-payment of annual increments during those 4 years

Thus, there appear to be two types of punishments: reduction in time scale and stoppage of increments, both for 4 years. This is something which I have not understood.

I endorse the view of Mr. Kulkarni that this is a case of double punishment. The stoppage of the next four annual increments, with or without cumulative effect, is the first part of the punishment. The reduction in the time-scale of pay by four stages is the second part. After the expiry of the period of punishment, i.e., in the fifth year, his pay would be restored to the original stage before the punishment. So, it can be appealed.