The Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972, employers not paying gratuity are thieves stealing employees money

Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 had passed with good intention to give some monetary benefits to the employees who have worked for more than 5 years in an organization, at the time of retirement or leaving service. Many private organization have developed their own theory to avoid payment of gratuity or pay less amount of gratuity. It may be by shifting the payroll of employee from one organization to another or by giving fresh employment after terminating their continuous service. My experience in this subject is also shocking.

I have worked continuously for 17 Years in a big organization. They have shifted my payroll 9-10 times during this period from one company to another as per their convenience. Directors/office bearers of these companies are rubber stamp directors, who are employees of the company. The result after 17 years of service was:

I Left without getting any Provident Fund Benefit
I got Gratuity for 9 Years instead of 17 years and the gratuity calculation was also manipulated by adopting a false formula i.e. Monthly Salary/30X15X Number of Years, instead of the approved formula given in the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1976 i.e. Monthly Salary/26X15X Number of Years, which resulted huge financial loss to me.

My most shocking experience in that organization was when I heard my immediate senior advising the management to convert my employment to consultancy, just to save gratuity amount. I have worked with that a*s for 13 years. He had the option to save more money by transferring his and his political associates (who shows fake respect to him and pour rain of abuses against him from back) employment to consultancy (He have some mental problem with qualified people and spoiled the career of many professionals; he likes only those employees who do not know to write a line in English, so that he can maintain his superiority). But even now they are in regular payroll and enjoying office resources by misguiding the management.

The Management may not be aware about the imprisonment provision in the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972.

In short there was huge financial loss for me and I left without money and ultimately I was compelled to start my career afresh, like I started before 21 years.

This is the case of an organization where quality MBAs are being produced. Now you can think about the fate of employees in other companies.

There are provisions in the law to recover the amount of gratuity from my past employer and I know to execute it well. But I have not yet took any action because, after spending 17 years in that organization, I have some sentiment to it which they do not have to any employee. Further the fate of every business men who do unethical business practice is a big failure�
What happened after that?

I have totally changed my profession. Took a small financial help from one of my friends and started a small company, which was executing small orders. After few months we started climbing the steps of growth by competing with big players and now our company is providing services to many reputed clients and competing with oldest companies in the city. I am giving at least one new employment every month.

The office where I worked is under the control of office politicians who are experts in convincing anything to the management, as a result most of the experienced employees left the organization and now it is a "sinking ship".

HIGHLIGHTS OF PROVISIONS IN PAYMENT OF GRATUITY ACT, 1972
PROVISION RELATED TO PAYMENT OF GRATUITY IS MENTIONED IN SECTION 4 OF THE ACT

As per Section 4 (1) Gratuity shall be payable to an employee on the termination of his employment after he has rendered continuous service for not less than five years

(a) on his superannuation, or

(b) on his retirement or resignation, or

(c) on his death or disablement due to accident or disease : Provided that the completion of continuous service of five years shall not be necessary where the termination of the employment of any employee is due to death or disablement:

Provided further that in the case of death of the employee, gratuity payable to him shall be paid to his nominee or, if no nomination has been made, to his heirs, and where any such nominees or heirs is a minor, the share of such minor, shall be deposited with the controlling authority who shall invest the same for the benefit of such minor in such bank or other financial institution, as may be prescribed, until such minor attains majority.

(2)For every completed year of service or part thereof in excess of six months, the employer shall pay gratuity to an employee at the rate of fifteen days' wages based on the rate of wages last drawn by the employee concerned : Provided that in the case of a piece-rated employee, daily wages shall be computed on the average of the total wages received by him for a period of three months immediately preceding the termination of his employment, and, for this purpose, the wages paid for any overtime work shall not be taken into account:

Provided further that in the case of an employee who is employed in a seasonal establishment and who is not so employed throughout the year, the employer shall pay the gratuity at the rate of seven days' wages for each season.

Calculation of Gratuity: In the case of a monthly rated employee, the fifteen days' wages shall be calculated by dividing the monthly rate of wages last drawn by him by twenty-six and multiplying the quotient by fifteen.

(3) The amount of gratuity payable to an employee shall not exceed three lakhs and fifty thousand rupees.

(4) For the purpose of computing the gratuity payable to an employee who is employed, after his disablement, on reduced wages, his wages for the period preceding his disablement shall be taken to be the wages received by him during that period, and his wages for the period subsequent to his disablement shall be taken to be the wages as so reduced.

(5) Nothing in this section shall affect the right of an employee to receive better terms of gratuity under any award or agreement or contract with the employer.

(6) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), - (a) the gratuity of an employee, whose services have been terminated for any act, willful omission or negligence causing any damage or loss to, or destruction of, property belonging to the employer, shall be forfeited to the extent of the damage or loss so caused.

(b) the gratuity payable to an employee may be wholly or partially forfeited

(i) if the services of such employee have been terminated for his riotous or disorderly conduct or any other act of violence on his part, or

(ii) if the services of such employee have been terminated for any act which constitutes an offence involving moral turpitude, provided that such offence is committed by him in the course of his employment.

DETERMINATION OF THE AMOUNT OF GRATUITY - SECTION 7 OF PAYMENT OF GRATUITY ACT, 1972
As per Section 7 (1) A person who is eligible for payment of gratuity under this Act or any person authorised, in writing, to act on his behalf shall send a written application to the employer, within such time and in such form, as may be prescribed, for payment of such gratuity.

(2) As soon as gratuity becomes payable, the employer shall, whether an application referred to in sub-section (1) has been made or not, determine the amount of gratuity and give notice in writing to the person to whom the gratuity is payable and also to the controlling authority specifying the amount of gratuity so determined.

(3) The employer shall arrange to pay the amount of gratuity within thirty days from the date it becomes payable to the person to whom the gratuity is payable.

(3A) If the amount of gratuity payable under sub-section (3) is not paid by the employer within the period specified in sub-section (3), the employer shall pay, from the date on which the gratuity becomes payable to the date on which it is paid, simple interest at such rate, not exceeding the rate notified by the Central Government from time to time for repayment of long-term deposits, as that Government may, by notification specify : Provided that no such interest shall be payable if the delay in the payment is due to the fault of the employee and the employer has obtained permission in writing from the controlling authority for the delayed payment on this ground.

(4) (a) If there is any dispute as to the amount of gratuity payable to an employee under this Act or as to the admissibility of any claim of, or in relation to, an employee for payment of gratuity, or as to the person entitled to receive the gratuity, the employer shall deposit with the controlling authority such amount as he admits to be payable by him as gratuity.

(b) Where there is a dispute with regard to any matter or matters specified in clause (a), the employer or employee or any other person raising the dispute may make an application to the controlling authority for deciding the dispute.

(c) The controlling authority shall, after due inquiry and after giving the parties to the dispute a reasonable opportunity of being heard, determine the matter or matters in dispute and if, as a result of such inquiry any amount is found to be payable to the employee, the controlling authority shall direct the employer to pay such amount or, as the case may be, such amount as reduced by the amount already deposited by the employer.

(d) The controlling authority shall pay the amount deposited, including the excess amount, if any, deposited by the employer, to the person entitled thereto.

(e) As soon as may be after a deposit is made under clause (a), the controlling authority shall pay the amount of the deposit - (i) to the applicant where he is the employee; or

(ii) where the applicant is not the employee, to the nominee or, as the case may be, the guardian of such nominee or heir of the employee if the controlling authority is satisfied that there is no dispute as to the right of the applicant to receive the amount of gratuity.

(5) For the purpose of conducting an inquiry under sub-section (4), the controlling authority shall have the same powers as are vested in a court, while trying a suit, under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908), in respect of the following matters, namely :- (a) enforcing the attendance of any person or examining him on oath;

(b) requiring the discovery and production of documents;

(d) issuing commissions for the examination of witnesses.

(6) Any inquiry under this section shall be a judicial proceeding within the meaning of sections 193 and 228, and for the purpose of section 196, of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (45 of 1860).

(7) Any person aggrieved by an order under sub-section (4) may, within sixty days from the date of the receipt of the order, prefer an appeal to the appropriate Government or such other authority as may be specified by the appropriate Government in this behalf : Provided that the appropriate Government or the appellate authority, as the case may be, may, if it is satisfied that the appellant was prevented by sufficient cause from preferring the appeal within the said period of sixty days, extend the said period by a further period of sixty days.

Provided further that no appeal by an employer shall be admitted unless at the time of preferring the appeal, the appellant either produces a certificate of the controlling authority to the effect that the appellant has deposited with him an amount equal to the amount of gratuity required to be deposited under sub-section (4), or deposits with the appellate authority such amount.

(8) The appropriate Government or the appellate authority, as the case may be, may, after giving the parties to the appeal a reasonable opportunity of being heard, confirm, modify or reverse the decision of the controlling authority.

RECOVERY OF GRATUITY - SECTION 8 OF PAYMENT OF GRATUITY ACT 1972
As per Section 8 if the amount of gratuity payable under this Act is not paid by the employer, within the prescribed time, to the person entitled thereto, the controlling authority shall, on an application made to it in this behalf by the aggrieved person, issue a certificate for that amount to the Collector, who shall recover the same, together with compound interest thereon at such rate as the Central Government may, by notification, specify, from the date of expiry of the prescribed time, as arrears of land revenue and pay the same to the person entitled thereto :

Provided that the controlling authority shall, before issuing a certificate under this section, give the employer a reasonable opportunity of showing cause against the issue of such certificate:

Provided further that the amount of interest payable under this section shall, in no case exceed the amount of gratuity payable under this Act.

PENALTIES PROVISIONS - SECTION 9 OF PAYMENT OF GRATUITY ACT, 1972
As per Section 9 (1) Whoever, for the purpose of avoiding any payment to be made by himself under this Act or of enabling any other person to avoid such payment, knowingly makes or causes to be made any false statement or false representation shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees or with both.

(2) An employer who contravenes, or makes default in complying with, any of the provisions of this Act or any rule or order made there under shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than three months but which may extend to one year, or with fine which shall not be less than ten thousand rupees but which may extend to twenty thousand rupees, or with both :

Provided that where the offence relates to non-payment of any gratuity payable under this Act, the employer shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months but which may extend to two years unless the court trying the offence, for reasons to be recorded by it in writing, is of opinion that a lesser term of imprisonment or the imposition of a fine would meet the ends of justice.

COGNIZANCE OF OFFENCES - SECTION 11 OF PAYMENT OF GRATUITY ACT, 1972
As per section 11 (1) No court shall take cognizance of any offence punishable under this Act save on a complaint made by or under the authority of the appropriate Government : Provided that where the amount of gratuity has not been paid, or recovered, within six months from the expiry of the prescribed time, the appropriate Government shall authorise the controlling authority to make a complaint against the employer, whereupon the controlling authority shall, within fifteen days from the date of such authorisation, make such complaint to a Magistrate having jurisdiction to try the offence.

(2) No court inferior to that of a Metropolitan Magistrate or a Judicial Magistrate of the first class shall try any offence punishable under this Act.