Attendance Dilemma: How Should Absenteeism Be Handled During Lockdown at a Manufacturing Plant?

Hi, if a staff member was supposed to come (say, alternate days) to the manufacturing plant (Pharmaceutical essential items) but doesn't turn up, will they be liable for one day of absenteeism, two days of absenteeism, or no deduction at all?

Dear A. Jain,

The staff was supposed to come for duty, but then he did not turn up. Have you found out the reasons for his absence? What is the mode of transportation? Is there a chance he could be picked up by the police for violating the national lockdown?

By the way, have you acquired a pass for him from the police authorities to attend to his duties? Without a valid pass, the police may even arrest him. Have you deliberated upon these challenges?

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

Thank you for your reply. The conditions/support provided by us for coming to duty are as follows: Dedicated transport with approved permissions and passes issued by local authorities/MPIDC/police. Individual passes are also provided accordingly.

Extensive safety measures are in place, and in addition, at least an hour of training and orientation is given every day as a reminder so that people are aware and educated in the plant, during transit, and at their homes as well.

Under such circumstances, what are the applicable attendance or absenteeism rules?

Dear A Jain,

If dedicated transport is provided and the pass has been acquired from the police authorities to work, then there was no reason for that person to be absent. Issue a show-cause notice to the absentee, and if the reasons for the absence are not credible, mark the employee as absent. However, the absence should be marked only for the period for which the employee was absent, and marking cannot exceed.

Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar

Dear A Jain,

The rule is simple: not being present on duty means being treated as absent. You need to call for an explanation. In the present context, this action shall be treated as a severe lapse on the part of the staff. The staff can be marked absent for the allocated day of work.

Dear all,

If you are providing essential services, all staff members are required to attend duty during the lockdown period. Absent employees will be treated as being on unpaid leave.

Thank you.

Good day.

Here in Karnataka, the government has provided relaxations for some industries, and we are working. However, a few employees are residing in their villages. A containment zone is in between their villages and our industry. Some are within the city but are dependent on public transport. We are unable to provide them with dedicated transport facilities. In such cases, should we pay them equal to what we pay the others who are working?

Thanks.