Statutory and Voluntary Benefits to Employees

Benefits to Employees: Statutory and Voluntary Benefits

Statutory Benefits:

These benefits are mandatory provided under the provisions of various Acts as discussed below:

(i) The Factories Act, 1948:
This Act covers areas including health, welfare, safety, working hours, leave with wages, etc.

The various benefits provided under the Act include:

(i) No worker (adult) shall be required to work in a factory for more than 48 hours in any week (Section 51);

(ii) The working hours shall be kept restricted to 9 hours on any day (Section 54);

(iii) An adult worker shall have weekly paid holidays, preferably Sunday;

(iv) A worker deprived of weekly holidays, is eligible for compensatory holiday of the same number in the same month;

(v) Provision for double salary to the workers working during holidays; and

(vi) Provision for canteen employing more than 250 workers and creches where more than 30 women employees are working.

(ii) The Mines Act, 1952:

Apart from provision for canteen and creches, the Mines Act, 1952 specifies that there should be provision for first-aid boxes and first-aid rooms in mines employing more than 150 workers and appointment of a welfare officer in mines employing more than 500 workers.

(iii) The Plantation Labour Act, 1951:

The Act makes provision for canteen in plantations employing 150 or more workers, educational arrangements in the estate for the children of workers, where there are 25 workers’ children between the age of 6 and 12, and provision for umbrellas, blankets, raincoats, or other such amenities for the protection of workers from rain or cold as may be prescribed.

Appointment of a Welfare Officer in Plantations employing 300 or more workers is also specified in the Act. Besides, workers who worked for 240 days during a calendar year are eligible for paid vacation at the rate of one day for every 20 days worked in case of adult works and at the rate of one day for every 15 days worked in case of child workers.