Facing Salary Cuts and Lack of Transparency: What Are My Rights and Options?

I am currently working with a private educational institution for the past 10 years. For the past 6 months, the organization is not disbursing our full salary. We are being given only 70% of our salary as the organization is citing poor financials. This financial health wasn't intimated to us well in advance, and no option was given to us to leave the organization amicably. Also, they are not furnishing any salary slips for the past 6 months, because of which even taking a personal loan to meet expenses has become an issue.

Questions Regarding Salary and Employment Terms

I have a few questions, and I'd be grateful if you could advise me on this:

1. Is any organization allowed to force salary deduction without proper intimation and also without furnishing salary slips?

2. Our notice period is 6 months, for which a letter has to be furnished in the month of November, and the organization would relieve us on the last calendar day of May. For this, they had enforced a bond! If I leave the organization right now citing poor financials without serving the notice period, can they enforce the notice period and the bond?

3. Can they refuse to pay the gratuity and PF if I leave the organization without serving the notice period, citing poor financials and no transparency (less salary and no salary slips)?

4. I have been an above-average performer as an employee and have been appraised 4 times in the last 10 years, wherein my salary has risen by almost 400%. All my performance reports have been excellent. What legal options do I have to avoid any exploitation? What documents should I get in order to ensure I get the arrears I deserve + PF + gratuity?

Warm Regards!

Dear friend, I share your anxiety, agony, and mental stress. I have also experienced the difficulties you are facing. Nonpayment of regular salary is very common nowadays, and there is no excuse for you to tolerate such exploitation. After serving for so many years and now being pushed to face such a situation, it is indeed a hard time.

Options to Consider

As an outsider, I can suggest that you have only two options:

i) To have patience and continue here, hoping for the best to happen, as others might do;

ii) Raise a dispute in the appropriate forum and take the administration to legal scrutiny to seek your just remedy.

Legal Notice Option

Another option is to issue a legal notice to your administrator stating that you are forced to quit due to a breach of contractual obligations, such as non-payment of salary, failure to issue salary slips, and demanding immediate settlement of full and final (F & F) dues along with a clean relieving letter, etc., if you can afford and withstand the time and loss of salary until you secure alternate employment/earnings.

Have courage and be sensible.