Section 9 of PW Act : Section 9: Deductions For Absence From Duty

Explanation using Example

Imagine a factory worker named Rohit, who is employed under a contract that requires him to work from Monday to Friday each week. One week, Rohit fails to show up for work on Tuesday without informing his employer or providing a valid reason for his absence. According to Section 9 of The Payment of Wages Act, 1936, the factory owner is entitled to make a deduction from Rohit's wages for the time he was absent.

The deduction from Rohit's wages will be proportional to the time he missed. If Rohit's daily wage is $100, and he missed one out of five working days, the employer can legally deduct $100 from his weekly wages. However, the deduction cannot exceed the amount corresponding to the period Rohit was absent.

If Rohit and nine other workers had collectively decided to absent themselves without notice and without a reasonable cause, the employer could deduct from each worker's wages an amount not exceeding eight days' wages, as a penalty for not providing due notice, assuming this is in accordance with the terms of their employment contracts and any applicable rules set by the government.