Navigating Attendance Registers for Remote Field Employees Across States: What Are the Legal Requirements?

Dear All, We have our Pvt Ltd registered in Amritsar, Punjab, and an office in Delhi. We have employees in a few states who are our sales agents and technicians in cities like Delhi, Jaipur, Kanpur, etc.

Attendance Register and Muster Rolls as per Delhi Labour Law

I would like to ask, as per Delhi labour law, how do we maintain an attendance register/muster rolls and other documents where the physical presence of an employee is required daily at the office? All the field employees come to the office once a month, and employees from other states hardly visit Delhi or Amritsar.

State Law for Field Employees in Other Cities

Secondly, the field employees in cities other than Delhi/Amritsar fall under which state law?

Thanks in advance.

Dear Mahajan, every state has several labor laws. Therefore, I am at a loss to understand what "Delhi Labor Law" refers to, under which you are required to maintain the so-called registers and documents for your company's employees working outside Delhi. I believe the way you phrased your question only allows readers to make educated guesses.

Probably, your office is a Delhi regional/branch office of the company registered in Amritsar. As such, it qualifies as an "establishment" under section 2(9) of the Delhi Shops and Establishments Act, 1954. Consequently, all registers and documents related to the employment of employees from the Delhi region or branch working in the specific establishment must be maintained. A quick review of the Act's Schedule on exemptions indicates that employees whose work involves traveling or is outside the establishment are exempt from provisions such as hours of work, rest intervals, and spread over. Hence, registers related to these exempted aspects need not be maintained. However, all other registers and documents, such as leave register and wages register, must be maintained. If the office has the authority to issue appointment letters, they should be issued.

Employees working in other areas should be covered under the respective State's Shops & Estt Act, as the place of work determines jurisdiction under any law.