INTRODUCTION
Employee or labour welfare is a comprehensive term including various services, benefits and facilities offered to employees by the employer. Through such generous fringe benefits the employer makes life worth living for employees. The welfare amenities are extended in addition to normal wages and other economic rewards available to employees as per the legal provisions. According to Dr. Parandikar, “Labour welfare work is work for improving the health, safety and general well being and the industrial efficiency of the workers beyond the minimum standard laid down by labour legislation” Welfare measures may also be provided by the government, trade unions and non-government agencies in addition the employer. The basic purpose of labour welfare is to enrich the life of employees and keep them happy and contented. Welfare measures may be both statutory and voluntary. Labour laws require the employer to extend certain benefits to employees in addition to wages. Voluntary benefits are the result of employer’s generosity, enlightenment and philanthropic feelings.
MEANING OF EMPLOYEE WELFARE
According to the Oxford dictionary employee welfare or labour welfare means “the efforts to make life worth living for workmen”.
According to the Labour Investigation Committee (1946), employee welfare means “anything done for intellection physical, moral and economic betterment of the workers, whether by employers, by Government or by other agencies, over and above what is laid down by law, or what is normally expected on the part of the contracted benefits for which workers may have bargained”.
FEATURES OF EMPLOYEE WELFARE
=> Employee welfare is a comprehensive term including various services, facilities and amenities provided to employees for their betterment.
=> Employee welfare is a dynamic concept varying from country to country and from region to region within the same country. It is a flexible and ever changing concept as new welfare measures are added to the existing measures from time to time.
=> Welfare measures are in addition to regular wages and other economic benefits available to employees under legal provisions and collective bargaining.
=> Welfare measures may be provided not only by employers but by the government, trade unions and other agencies too.
=> The basic purpose of employee welfare is to improve the working class a lot and thereby make the worker as a good employee and a happy citizen.
=> Employee welfare is an essential part of social welfare. It involves adjustment of an employee’s work life and family life to the community or social life.
=> Welfare measures may be both voluntary and statutory. Voluntary measures are the result of paternalistic and philanthropic feelings of employer. These may also be provided due to customs or traditions in the particular industry or region. Statutory measures are prescribed under labour laws.
=> Employee welfare measures are also known as fringe benefits and services.
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