A salary with some respect

Salary or a payment, an individual do not get or receive for free but as a pre fixed rate for the labour contributed or service provided. Unlike in the past, today, you do not hear of workers get a bit of food and a torn cloth for the labour contributed.

From ‘slavery’ of miserable an unforgiving past to the post of labourer or wage labourer or any other category of job of workers, white colar or other positions recognized by today’s world, secured and protected by rules and regulations implemented time to time. The employers and the workers are whether they like it or not are force to follow the rules and regulations popularly or lawfully known as ‘labour rules’, mentioned in the books of laws.

Amongst the rules and regulations already in practice (?) worldwide, THE SALARY of a worker was something that was given very much attention when fixing or preparing laws, other than explaining other benefits that they should or must get along with the basic salary.

The salary according to the laws or rules and regulations should be paid ‘accurately calculating the number of hours that a worker contribute their labour or work per day, week, or a month, including or excluding ‘public or bank holidays and inevitably the rules and regulations applicable for the basic salary too.  

Every worker should be paid their salary according to the existing labour rules and regulations local or international and this is something that almost every employer of today know or aware of, except very few, unfortunately or do not respect or care about.

According to the current laws a worker should work 8 hours a day including tea and lunch break(?) and every hour exceed eight hours of work are considered as ‘overtime work’ and for every hour that the worker work as ‘over time work’ should be paid according to the laws. There are fixed rates that the law describes, how a worker should be paid for their overtime hours.

Other than the letter of contract, there is another document that a worker should receive that is known as ‘pay slip’ and is a document secure the dignity and honour of both the employer and the employee for various reasons. In a pay slip there are facts that the employer must include or mention. Except few workers, most workers are aware of these things, I believe. Some do not fight against those who do not provide what laws explains fearing of losing their jobs. Again it is a matter of workers’ lack of awareness of labour rules and regulations. Following is a model of a pay slip.

·       The name of the company

·       The name of the worker

·       Age

Earnings

·       The basic salary (Rs.)

·       The number of hours worked a week or a month

·       Over time hours worked (on normal days and on special or on other public days)

·       Rate (Rs.)

·       Cost of Living allowance

·       Incentives (attendance etc.)

·       Bonuses

·       Compensations paid , if any

·       For leave not taken

Deductions

·       EPF (employer’s provident fund)

·       ETF (Employer’s Trust Fund)

·       Salary advance

·       Loans etc.

·       Insurance

·       Leave taken (other than sick, annual leave described in law)

·       Other

Total earnings

The Pay Slip that a worker receives from his or her employer may vary depending on the agreement made between two parties and the employer’s vision and mission over his/her ‘enterprise/services providing.’

Due to the existing competition in the job market, between entrepreneurs/enterprises most employers try to provide maximum benefit for their workers yet a very few you may find do not care about any of the above mentioned. Still, in this modern and educated world, there are workers do not receive contract letters, pay slips, etc as mentioned in the book of labor laws.

If we find employers who do not think or know that the worker who serves them is taking , getting or receiving their payments not for free or as a donation but after contributing their labour for hours and hours and days and days of a month, is an issue or an issue that we must think of solving sooner not later for the sake of not only of the worker but also of the future and good name of the company, enterprise, of the service gainers as well and also as a whole, for a world free from ‘full and total slavery and for the peace of mind of the worker’.

Kindly give your worker the salary they earned with facing all the obstacles known or unknown to you, when handling the service gainers or providing the service at least with a smile, kindly do not keep the salary on your table for them to take and do not ask your worker ’come take this’ with a horrible disrespect voice or in a unkind manner.

A worker you have is an important asset, resource, and they are the soul contributors of the profit you earn and spend for the comforts of your family, current or future investments, for your child’s education, carrier development and their marriages, I believe, dear sirs and madams.   

On this May Day I wish all employers and employees a peaceful working future and profitable future.