How to Handle Termination When an Employee Demands Full Salary During COVID-19?

Can anyone please help me with a termination letter without prejudice sample? The reason for termination is that the employee is demanding a full salary to resume work. Currently, we're experiencing a 30% reduction in salary due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are in the event services industry, and events have not been taking place for the past two months. Despite this, we paid the employee 70% of their salary for the previous two months. We now require the employee to reimburse the salary as they have refused to return from their village and did not provide any notice of absence.

Thank you,

Dear Sandra D'Souza,

If the employee was on unauthorized absence, then why was their salary credited for the absentee period as well?

Anyway, before termination, you need to follow due process of law. I recommend you send a show-cause notice for the unauthorized absence. Ask why disciplinary action should not be initiated for their absence. Order them to resume their duties immediately. Do not write consequences of failing to report for duties as "you will terminate their services," etc. Just write, "if you fail to report for the duties or if you report for the duties but the justification for the absence is found invalid, then the administration of ________ (your company's complete name) reserves the right to initiate disciplinary action against you."

While drafting the show-cause notice, ensure that you quote the dates of the absence accurately. Send the show-cause notice by speed post. However, a scanned copy of the notice along with the receipt from the speed post may be sent by email.

If the employee remains impervious to the show-cause notice, then order a domestic inquiry and direct them to appear before the inquiry. If the employee fails to report even for the inquiry, then your company can take disciplinary action, which could be termination of the services.

You may find the disciplinary procedure a little tedious. Nevertheless, from the long-term interest of the company, it is important to follow this arduous process. If all the legal steps before the termination are followed diligently, then your company will be unafraid even if the employee challenges the termination in a court of law.

Please note that roughly 5% or even slightly fewer employees are always delinquent. Dealing with them consumes your time and energy as much as the rest. But then, that is what the fate of the HR professional is!

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar