Employee welfare
“Employee welfare or labour welfare means the efforts to make life worth living for workmen.”
“Labour welfare means anything done for the comfort and improvement, intellectual or social, of the employees over and above the wages paid which is not necessity of the industry”.
ARTHUR JAMES TODD.
“Workers welfare may be understood as including such services facilities and amenities which may be established in, or in the vicinity of undertakings to perform their work in healthy and congenial surroundings and to avail of facilities which improve their health and bring high morale.”
International labour organization.
Employee welfare is in the interest of the employee, the employer and the society as a whole. Welfare measures help to counter act the negative effects of the factory system. These measures enables the employees and his family to lead a good life. Welfare facilities like housing, medical and children’s education, recreation, etc help to improve the family life of employees.
“such services, facilities and amenities as adequate canteen, rest and recreation facilities, sanitary and medical facilities, arrangements for travel to and from work and for accommodation of workers employed at a distance from their homes, and such other services, amenities and facilities, including social security measures as contribute to improve the conditions under which workers are employed.
Committee on labour welfare (1969)
Features of employee welfare
1. Comprehensive term.
2. Dynamic concept varying from country to country.
3. Legal provisions for regular wages and other economic benefits.
4. Welfare measures by government, trade unions and other agencies too.
5. Improves the working class.
6. Involves adjustment of an employee’s work life and family life to the community or social life.
7. Welfare measures may be both voluntary and statutory.
8. It ma be also known as fringe benefits and services.
Benefits or objectives of Employee welfare
1. Help to improve recruitment.
2. Improves the morale and loyalty of workers by making workforce.
3. Reduces labour turnover and absenteeism.
4. Helps to increase employee productivity of efficiency by improving their physical and mental health.
5. Improvement in material, intellectual and cultural conditions of life protects workers from social evils like drinking, gambling etc.
6. Help to improve industrial relations and industrial peace.
7. Help to improve the goodwill and public image of the enterprise.
Agencies of employee welfare
1. Central government
The central government has made elaborate provisions for the health, safety and welfare of workers under factories act, 1948, and mines act, 1952.
These acts provide for canteens, crèches, shelters, rest rooms, lunch rooms, washing facilities, etc. They also regulate the age of employment, hours of work and make provision for the appointment of labour welfare officers. The state government have been empowered to prescribe duties, qualifications and conditions of service of these welfare officers.
2. State government
Government in different states and union territories provide welfare facilities to workers. Many of them run health and family planning centers for education, vocational guidance, recreation and training of workers and other welfare centers.
3. Employers
Now a day’s employers take interest in welfare work both voluntarily and under statutory provisions. For example well equipped hospitals, schools, gymnasiums, clubs, canteens, crèches, and dispensaries, cooperative societies etc. are provided on a voluntary basis. In jute industry medical education and recreational facilities are provided by the Indian jute mills association.
4. Trade unions
In India, trade unions have done little for the welfare of the workers. But a few sound and strong unions have been the pioneers in this respect. They are Ahmedabad textile labour association and the mazdoor sabha kanpur. They provides: -
1. Dispensaries and maternity homes.
2. Schools, reading rooms, libraries, debating groups, study circles other educational measures.
3. Sports, recreation and cultural centers.
4. Cooperative stores and a cooperative bank.
5. Residential boarding house.
Other agencies
Some philanthropic, charitable and social service organizations like Bombay social service league, seva sadan society, the depressed classes mission society, the Y.M.C.E. etc. also provides educational and medical facilities.
Type of welfare services
Employee welfare services may be classified into two broad categories
INTRAMURAL
EXTRAMURAL
Statutory provisions concerning employee welfare
Employers are required to provide welfare facilities for workers under the following as follows:
THE FACTORIES ACT 1948
The welfare facilities provided under this act are as follows:
1. Adequate, suitable and clean washing facilities separately for male and female workers.
2. Facilities for storing and drying clothes.
3. Canteens, if more than 250 workers are employed.
4. Shelter, rest rooms and lunch rooms if there are more than 150 workers.
5. Welfare officer, whenever more than 500 workers are employed.
THE PLANTATION LABOUR ACT, 1951
The welfare facilities provided under this act are as follows:
1. A canteen wherever 150 or more than workers are employed.
2. A crèche, if employing 50 or more women workers.
3. Recreational facilities for the workers and their children.
4. Educational arrangements.
5. Housing facilities for every worker and his family residing in the plantation.
6. Medical aid to workers and their families.
7. Sickness allowance and maternity allowance.
8. Appointment of welfare officer in plantations employing 300 or more.
THE MINES ACT, 1952
The mines owners are required to make provisions for:
1. Crèches if 50 or more women are employed.
2. Shelters for taking food and rest, wherever 150 or more workers are employed.
3. First aid boxes for first aid room in mines employing more than 150 workers.
4. Pit head baths equipped with shower bath, sanitary and lockers etc.
THE MOTOR TRANSPORT WORKERS ACT, 1961
The welfare facilities provided under this act are as follows:
1. Canteens for prescribed standards.
2. Clean, ventilated, well lighted and comfortable rest rooms at every place where motor transport workers are required to halt at night.
3. Uniforms, raincoats to drivers, conductors and time checkers for protection against rain and cold.
4. Prescribed medical facilities.
THE CONTRACT LABOUR ACT, 1970
The welfare facilities provided under this act are as follows:
1. A canteen in every establishment employing 100 or more workers.
2. Rest rooms or other suitable alternatives accommodation where the contract labour is required.
3. Washing facilities.
4. First aid boxes.
“Employee welfare or labour welfare means the efforts to make life worth living for workmen.”
“Labour welfare means anything done for the comfort and improvement, intellectual or social, of the employees over and above the wages paid which is not necessity of the industry”.
ARTHUR JAMES TODD.
“Workers welfare may be understood as including such services facilities and amenities which may be established in, or in the vicinity of undertakings to perform their work in healthy and congenial surroundings and to avail of facilities which improve their health and bring high morale.”
International labour organization.
Employee welfare is in the interest of the employee, the employer and the society as a whole. Welfare measures help to counter act the negative effects of the factory system. These measures enables the employees and his family to lead a good life. Welfare facilities like housing, medical and children’s education, recreation, etc help to improve the family life of employees.
“such services, facilities and amenities as adequate canteen, rest and recreation facilities, sanitary and medical facilities, arrangements for travel to and from work and for accommodation of workers employed at a distance from their homes, and such other services, amenities and facilities, including social security measures as contribute to improve the conditions under which workers are employed.
Committee on labour welfare (1969)
Features of employee welfare
1. Comprehensive term.
2. Dynamic concept varying from country to country.
3. Legal provisions for regular wages and other economic benefits.
4. Welfare measures by government, trade unions and other agencies too.
5. Improves the working class.
6. Involves adjustment of an employee’s work life and family life to the community or social life.
7. Welfare measures may be both voluntary and statutory.
8. It ma be also known as fringe benefits and services.
Benefits or objectives of Employee welfare
1. Help to improve recruitment.
2. Improves the morale and loyalty of workers by making workforce.
3. Reduces labour turnover and absenteeism.
4. Helps to increase employee productivity of efficiency by improving their physical and mental health.
5. Improvement in material, intellectual and cultural conditions of life protects workers from social evils like drinking, gambling etc.
6. Help to improve industrial relations and industrial peace.
7. Help to improve the goodwill and public image of the enterprise.
Agencies of employee welfare
1. Central government
The central government has made elaborate provisions for the health, safety and welfare of workers under factories act, 1948, and mines act, 1952.
These acts provide for canteens, crèches, shelters, rest rooms, lunch rooms, washing facilities, etc. They also regulate the age of employment, hours of work and make provision for the appointment of labour welfare officers. The state government have been empowered to prescribe duties, qualifications and conditions of service of these welfare officers.
2. State government
Government in different states and union territories provide welfare facilities to workers. Many of them run health and family planning centers for education, vocational guidance, recreation and training of workers and other welfare centers.
3. Employers
Now a day’s employers take interest in welfare work both voluntarily and under statutory provisions. For example well equipped hospitals, schools, gymnasiums, clubs, canteens, crèches, and dispensaries, cooperative societies etc. are provided on a voluntary basis. In jute industry medical education and recreational facilities are provided by the Indian jute mills association.
4. Trade unions
In India, trade unions have done little for the welfare of the workers. But a few sound and strong unions have been the pioneers in this respect. They are Ahmedabad textile labour association and the mazdoor sabha kanpur. They provides: -
1. Dispensaries and maternity homes.
2. Schools, reading rooms, libraries, debating groups, study circles other educational measures.
3. Sports, recreation and cultural centers.
4. Cooperative stores and a cooperative bank.
5. Residential boarding house.
Other agencies
Some philanthropic, charitable and social service organizations like Bombay social service league, seva sadan society, the depressed classes mission society, the Y.M.C.E. etc. also provides educational and medical facilities.
Type of welfare services
Employee welfare services may be classified into two broad categories
INTRAMURAL
EXTRAMURAL
Statutory provisions concerning employee welfare
Employers are required to provide welfare facilities for workers under the following as follows:
THE FACTORIES ACT 1948
The welfare facilities provided under this act are as follows:
1. Adequate, suitable and clean washing facilities separately for male and female workers.
2. Facilities for storing and drying clothes.
3. Canteens, if more than 250 workers are employed.
4. Shelter, rest rooms and lunch rooms if there are more than 150 workers.
5. Welfare officer, whenever more than 500 workers are employed.
THE PLANTATION LABOUR ACT, 1951
The welfare facilities provided under this act are as follows:
1. A canteen wherever 150 or more than workers are employed.
2. A crèche, if employing 50 or more women workers.
3. Recreational facilities for the workers and their children.
4. Educational arrangements.
5. Housing facilities for every worker and his family residing in the plantation.
6. Medical aid to workers and their families.
7. Sickness allowance and maternity allowance.
8. Appointment of welfare officer in plantations employing 300 or more.
THE MINES ACT, 1952
The mines owners are required to make provisions for:
1. Crèches if 50 or more women are employed.
2. Shelters for taking food and rest, wherever 150 or more workers are employed.
3. First aid boxes for first aid room in mines employing more than 150 workers.
4. Pit head baths equipped with shower bath, sanitary and lockers etc.
THE MOTOR TRANSPORT WORKERS ACT, 1961
The welfare facilities provided under this act are as follows:
1. Canteens for prescribed standards.
2. Clean, ventilated, well lighted and comfortable rest rooms at every place where motor transport workers are required to halt at night.
3. Uniforms, raincoats to drivers, conductors and time checkers for protection against rain and cold.
4. Prescribed medical facilities.
THE CONTRACT LABOUR ACT, 1970
The welfare facilities provided under this act are as follows:
1. A canteen in every establishment employing 100 or more workers.
2. Rest rooms or other suitable alternatives accommodation where the contract labour is required.
3. Washing facilities.
4. First aid boxes.
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