Are There Companies with Office Boys on Payroll? Exploring the Pros and Cons

Hi, I am a consultant in Mumbai, and my client is an IT company with 300 employees. It has asked me the question if there are any companies who have office boys on their payroll. Can someone name a few?

Pros and cons of having office boys on the payroll

Secondly, what are the pros and cons of having them on the payroll?

Thanks & Regards,
Anjali

Including Office Boys or Janitors in Payroll

There is nothing wrong with including office boys or janitors in the payroll. However, unlike the fat paychecks offered to skilled individuals in tech organizations, most of these janitors may fall under the minimum wage category in India. ESI coverage, administration, and a whole host of compliance issues may be hindering many employers from hiring such staff directly and instead opting to get them through an agency.

Employment of Office Boys Under 18

If by office boy, you mean those under 18 years of age, we have employed them in a few compassionate cases. This occurred where the spouse of the deceased employee was unemployable, and the family had no other support. In such situations, the eldest child, who was under 18 years of age, was employed as an office boy. Their tasks included serving water, tea, etc., to guests, complying with the Factory Act 1948 provisions for employing young persons. There are also various reports of children of deceased police personnel serving as office boys until they reach employable age.

What is wrong with appointing an Office Boy?

What is wrong with keeping or appointing an Office Boy (not really a boy but a man aged more than 50 or 70 may also be designated as 'boy') on the company rolls? What is the issue if he alone is covered by ESI? And if he is under third-party rolls, what is the benefit the company gets out of the ESI Act? Even if he is under a third-party payroll, you have to ensure payment of ESI by the contractor. He will also be counted as an employee for all purposes, including coverage of your company under the ESI Act or EPF Act.

The importance of direct employment for an Office Boy

Since this Office Boy is expected to go to banks and other offices, traveling during office hours, carrying cash and other important documents, I must say that he should be under our direct rolls with ESI and other statutory payments directly made by us.