Employee Left After 4 Days: Should We Pay Him for the Days Worked?

Hi All, we hired an employee, and he left the company after 4 days (he submitted his resignation citing personal reasons) without serving any notice period. Now, he is requesting payment for the 4 days he worked. Is he entitled to receive this salary? Kindly provide your advice on this matter.

His salary can be adjusted against the amount payable by him in lieu of the notice period. However, the correct procedure can be suggested only after reviewing his appointment letter and knowing other relevant facts.

Regards, S. K. Mittal

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If salary is to be paid, then the notice period also comes into play. He can be informed that the salary for the four days would be payable upon completion of all exit formalities, including the deposit of salary for the notice period.

Handling Employee Resignation and Notice Period

Some people will ask for the moon, and for such individuals, it is necessary to show the rules and regulations as outlined in the appointment order. What was the notice period? As a matter of fact, ask the employee to pay back the salary for the unserved notice period.

It's a matter of 4 days' salary. If he has worked, he is entitled to 4 days' salary. It is better to pay 4 days' salary with humanitarian consideration without going into the legal stance of the notice period.

Contract of Employment Terms

This Contract of Employment is terminable without reasons by either party giving 2 months of written notice or payment in lieu of notice. You shall serve a period of 6 months on probation.

If you have a term similar to this in your offer letter or employment agreement, then I don't think you need to pay even a single penny for his 4-day service. If the employee really has a serious concern at his workplace, he should discuss it professionally with HR or his head. On humanitarian grounds, if it's a genuine case, then he can be relieved with immediate effect, and even then there is no guarantee that 4 days' salary needs to be paid unless the deciding authority authorizes it.

Professional Workplace Expectations

Work is a professional place. After all the efforts of recruiters, interviewers, HR, and documentation for so many days, he or she can't just come in passing time for a week and leave without a reason.

But eventually, you would have a contract that would have a clause related to resignation or termination which decides if the payment needs to be done or not.