Is Keeping a Manual Wages Register Necessary in Kerala When Paying via Bank?

Hi, Is it mandatory to maintain a manual wages register if we are disbursing salary through the bank? We also issue a wage slip to every employee. We do have biometric attendance but still maintain a manual muster roll. We are from Kerala. An expert opinion in this regard will be highly appreciated.

Approval for Keeping Soft Copies of Registers

Soft copies of the registers can be kept, but only with the approval of the competent authorities. To obtain approval, you must submit printouts of the attendance register, wage register, pay slips, etc., ensuring that these soft forms contain all the required information as per the relevant Acts. If the authorities verify that the information is complete, they will permit you to discontinue the hard copies. The authority responsible for approval is the Labour Commissioner in Trivandrum.

Current Practices in Kerala

However, most establishments in Kerala tend to use soft forms. Inspectors are not as strict regarding these matters nowadays; as long as the Attendance Register is accessible, they usually do not raise any concerns. During inspections, you can present soft copies of payslips, payroll, etc.

Hi, Thanks for the immediate reply. We showed the Labour Enforcement the soft copies, but they insist on maintaining hard copies and have served a notice. Hence, this question.

True. He has the authority to require you to maintain hard copies of registers, but he can also excuse you. It depends on the attitude of the officers.