ESI Contribution Days Dilemma: How to Count Half-Days in Monthly Returns?

Dear Friends, please provide your suggestion for ESI half-days consideration. An employee continuously presented half-day at the office on a daily basis in a particular month, i.e.:

Date: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Present: 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 w/o 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 w/o 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 w/o 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 w/o 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2

Contribution Days Query: What should be the contribution days to be mentioned in the monthly return: 31 days or 18 days?

As per ESI, half-day will be considered as a full day. Kindly suggest your thoughts.

Thank you.

Only ABSENT days are reduced from the number of days. The ESIC department works based on actual attendance and actual gross wages. If there is no absence, then full days would be submitted. However, as per company deduction rules, the actual gross salary payable would be entered.

This sequence will help employees attain the minimum working days eligibility on a half-yearly basis. In case of any accidental incidents within the establishment or in transit, the employer's register will show that the employee was NOT absent.