Should We Keep Paying Salary to an Employee on Extended Sick Leave? Seeking Advice

Greetings of the day,

Query: An employee has not been reporting to the office for the past 2.5 months due to her critical illness, and the HR department is aware of this situation. We have been continuously crediting her salary to her account. As her sick and earned leave have been exhausted, a question arises in my mind: should we continue to credit her salary?

Kindly provide me with your valuable suggestions regarding this issue.

If no leave balance, you don't have to pay wages. If she comes under ESI, please advise her to take leave through ESI; they will pay the salary. Glad to know that you have considered this employee's condition and paid what is due.

Employee Illness and Salary Continuation

Keeping in view the illness of an employee, crediting her salary for the last 2.5 months is truly a goodwill gesture and should be appreciated. However, you have not provided much detail on whether she is covered under ESIC or the nature of her illness—whether it is a general sickness or employment injury—to offer further advice.

In the meantime, if her leave entitlement has been used up, you may find yourself unable to continue paying her salary. Legally, you are not obligated to do so in the case of general sickness. It is now up to your discretion and conscience to decide whether to continue on humanitarian grounds, considering the seriousness of her situation, or to discontinue the payments.

Thanks,
P K Sharma