Can An Employer Terminate An Employee Without Any Prior Notice

rakesh0022
If a person is working in a company and one day the company manager tells him to take all his dues and not come to work from tomorrow itself.

Is it legal or illegal? Can the employee file a lawsuit against the employer in court?
rajanassociates
Dear,

It is not possible. The employer has to follow the due process of law. For workers and employees, the law is strict, and they can go to the labor court. For supervisory persons, they will have to go to the civil court. The maxim "wherever there is a right, there will be a remedy" will strictly apply.

With Regards

E-mail: rajanassociates@eth.net

Mobile: 9025792684
rachchu sharma
Legally, no one can say that tomorrow onwards you do not come. But practically, it happens quite often. HR managers know that no one wants to spoil their career and normally submit their resignation fearing termination. The law says many things, but...
sunil Sadar
No, not at all possible. Mr. VS Rajan and Mr. Sharma have rightly pointed out that at least one is required to give some days' notice if not a minimum of 1 month. A person may go to the Labour court for relief.

Please let me know if you need further assistance.
Roshni R
If the employee has violated any rules or committed any malfunctions that affect the company, then only the employer can take such action. Without any valid reason, no employer can dismiss an employee.
sasmita_deepa
We have seen many layoffs and terminations during the recession period without any prior notice or the notice period salary.

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GauravVedak
Hi Rakesh,

It totally depends upon the seriousness of the reason for terminating an employee. If the reason is due to integrity/sexual harassment/theft, then the employer can terminate immediately. If the reason is for performance, transfer rejections, or budget constraints, then the employer has to give a notice period to the employee. In both cases, the termination will be a non-regretted termination.

Regards,
Gaurav Vedak
R.N.Khola
Dear Member,
It is for the courts to decide whether the termination is illegal or legal. We can only say that this termination seems to be justified or not justified.
In service matters if we see that the termination of service is not accordance with the applicable law or it seems to us that the action of the management is not justified then we seek remedial measures before the appropriate forum. Who is this person working in the company is not known to us? In what capacity he is working? What are his duties? Whether he is covered under the definition of the ‘workman’? Whether Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 is applicable to this company? In my opinion there are two forums for redressal of our grievances i.e. one by approaching the Conciliation Officer under the I D Act, 1947 by raising a demand notice if the person is a workman under this Act & the other is to approach Civil Court if the person is not covered under the definition of the workman under this Act. In the second case if the management terminates the services in breach of the terms & condition of employment then the person can approach the Civil Court as told by other members. In such cases where it is agreed by the parties that either party will give one month notice or payment in lieu thereof then in that case it is not necessary to give notice & either party can give payment in lieu of notice. In the first situation also a workman can be removed from service if have hot worked continuously for period of 240 days in the preceding twelve months. While retrenching a workman we can give payment in lieu of notice under the I D Act & it is always not necessary to serve notice on the employee/workman. Before providing any advice on the issue of service termination one should go through each & every detail before finalizing the course of remedial measure.
Opinion submitted as requested.

With Regards,
R.N.Khola




deepakvasudevan
It depends on the agreements in the offer of employment contract. The most common forms of the offer are a month's notice period from either party ('Employer') and ('Employee'). Whilst the employee is on probation, this would be a little lower than normal.

When there is a breach of agreement or a legal issue, either party may sever relationships with or without a waiver of the notice period and/or a compensation amount in lieu of the notice period. But it all depends on the agreement initially signed. You would require taking help from an experienced attorney to get this clarified in your case.
singh inderjeet
Dear Rajan Sir,

If a company has the signature of an employee on such a document (say, a joining letter) in which it is written that if the company does not find that person beneficial or trustworthy, the company can terminate him/her immediately. Similarly, if at any stage, the employee does not find the company fulfilling its promises, the employee can leave the company immediately. It is fair for both and possible too.

In this situation, can one go to court? Or please inform me if the above example is against the law (please specify the act and section).

Waiting for your kind response.

Regards,
Inderjeet Singh "Born to lead"

Dear,

It is not possible. The employer has to follow the due process of law. For workers and employees, the law is strict, and they can go to the labor court. For supervisory persons, they will have to go to the civil court. The maxim "wherever there is a right, there will be a remedy" will strictly apply.

With Regards
VS Rajan Associates,
Advocates & Notaries,
No.27, 1st Floor, Singapore Plaza,
No.164, Linghi Chetty Street,
Chennai - 600 001.
Email: rajanassociates@eth.net
Off: 044-42620864, 044-65874684,
Mobile: 9025792684
Vasant Nair
The implication will vary depending upon the status of the employee;

1. If he is a Workman, then such an action will be illegal and such summary termination can be challenged. Appropriate remedies have been provided for in the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.

2. If he is NOT a workman, he is not protected by any law. In such cases, if all the payable dues, as per the terms of appointment, have been paid to the employee, the action of the management cannot really be challenged.

Vasant Nair

If a person is working in a company and one day the company manager told him to take all his dues and not come to work from tomorrow itself.

Is it legal or illegal? May an employee file a case in court against the employer?
jyoti.heron@gmail.com
Dear Mr. Khola,
I have more or less similar kind of a question. Could you please go through this link and give your valueable suggestions?
https://www.citehr.com/265573-resign...ce-period.html
Thank you !
Dhinakaran
Hi,

It is not possible legally. However, as Rachhu Sharma has indicated, employees do tender their resignation letters fearing termination of services. In many cases, with due compensation and dues being paid, many employees accept being severed from the organization. Even in the case of resignations under such circumstances, it is safer to pay the due compensations and relieve the employee.

Good luck!

Dhinakaran
raghunathk
Dear Karthik,

Regarding the termination of an employee, it depends on the reason. If he is on a probation period and you have provided an appointment letter stating that services can be terminated without any further notice if guilt is found, then termination can proceed. Otherwise, you have to prove his guilt by conducting an inquiry.

Regards,
raghunath.k.
41e73e204f21ab000343fe456
Dear colleagues,

Nowadays, organizations are investing crores of rupees in HR policies and practices. It is a practical experience that it is very easy to appoint a person, but it is very tactful to remove a person from service. First, making the decision to dismiss an employee and later contemplating and spending thousands of rupees on court matters is a foolish thing. Instead, try the course of conciliation within the organization. Your decision should be fruitful. Otherwise, if somebody decides to engage in illegal activities by retaining an army of lawyers in their arsenal, then nobody can prevent them.

It is better to think before deciding to terminate an employee because, in the long term, it may affect the culture of your organization, the morale of existing staff, and discipline.
R.N.Khola
Dear Jyoti,

In my opinion, the current company cannot force the employee to disclose the location of a new establishment. Such restrictions, where an employee is prohibited from joining another company within a period of two years after leaving the current company, may not hold up in the eyes of the law. If the company dismisses you on the grounds of breach of trust, you can also seek remedy through the appropriate court.

Comments/opinions submitted as requested.

Regards,
R N Khola

Gaurav Shrivastava
Legally, it cannot be done, but we in HR know that the law can be changed according to the sweet will of the company's management. The truth is, if a company does not want an employee, it simply does not want them. Then there are no ifs and buts. They can cite many reasons that we may think are illogical, but are presented in a way that makes them seem logical. I agree with one view that the employer makes the conditions so bad that the employee is forced to resign, and in many cases, asked to resign. The word "termination" is usually used on the company letterhead specifically in such cases when and where the company has a very strong and valid reason to do so.
ayyazmehmood
It's not possible even though he seriously violated the law. But the notice is a must.
Ayyaz Mehmood
rajnishbehl
Dear all,

I would like to know one thing: if a person is working in the position of Manager in a department under a contract with a multinational company (MNC), and a clause in their contract states "Termination at will" by the company, where the company is not obligated to provide any reason for termination, can this person take the company to the labor court in Gurgaon? I kindly request all the legal professionals on the forum to share their advice along with their contact numbers.

Thanks and regards,
Rajnish
weldegebriel
Under the Ethiopian labor law, the company can terminate without prior notice on the following grounds:

* During the probationary period,
* Absence from work without a good notice for a period of 5 consecutive working days,
* Deceitful or fraudulent conduct in carrying out his duties having regard to the gravity of the case,
* and others up to 10 cases.

NB: But it must be in writing.
ajaypillay
Hi Rakesh,

This is not at all possible. First thing is that if the employer has given the appointment letter, then no one can be removed until and unless the employee resigns and serves the notice period. Secondly, if there is fault on the employee's side such as drug addiction, sexual harassment, or theft, then it is possible for the employer to take action. Thirdly, there is no legal advice stating that an employer can directly terminate an employee without prior notice. If such a situation occurs, there are many NGOs and labor courts that can intervene.

With Regards,

Ajay Pillay
(Administration & HR Manager)
ljnassociates
Well, in this regard, I would like to point out one thing that everything depends upon the situation and the designation of an employee. Accordingly, it will lead to consequences. In any case, if a company decides to remove someone, there are good remedies available in court and there are good judgments to support that.

For further details, we request and appreciate you to get in touch at [Login to view] or 9870006433/91-222-27666136/09833366642. We are running a law firm by the name "LJ & Associates" and it is headed by me. I have legal experience in courts and corporates for more than 8 years. During these years, I have completed my B.Com, LLB, LLM, MBL, MBA, CS Inter. Please find attached my profile for any further issues, and I will be happy to help you out.

Thanks & Regards,
Lalit K Jain
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nabolbona
Dear All,

Thank you for updating all probabilities. In case termination takes place without any service rule or any written condition that empowers the employer to terminate an employee covered under the ID Act of 1947, the employer, a big MNC in West Bengal, requires advice on the remedial process for reemployment.

Nabolbona
Vasant Nair
Hi Vasant Nair,

Can you please provide more details regarding the following:

1. What is the designation and level of the employee? Is he a workman or does he fall into the managerial category?

2. What is his length of service?

3. Has he been given an Appointment Letter? If so, are there terms and conditions regarding exit?

4. Has he been terminated abruptly or has he been given a Termination Letter? How was it issued, and has he acknowledged receipt by signing it?

As per your statement, your company does not have any Standing Orders or service rules. Is your company a factory or is it registered under the Shops Act?

Once you share these details, we can provide you with better advice.

Thank you,
Vasant Nair
09717726667

mohanlal chauhan
Dear All,

I need your valuable suggestions in this case. Mr. X was hired on a contract of employment for one year, and after one year, his service was renewed for one more year. Now, it has been observed that he has a health issue. Sometimes, in the office, he also falls prey to it. Now, the business wants to remove him. We have been bearing this for the last eight months.

Please suggest what to do at this stage.

Thanks & Regards,
Mohan
sumantasamadder
Dear Mr. Khola,
I've understood point made by u. But, suppose wanted to terminate an employee because of his unprofessional behaviour/ approach, then what procedure one should follow. Pls suggest.
R.N.Khola
Dear Member,

If we need to take disciplinary action, it will be done according to the applicable Standing Orders of the industrial establishment or the procedure outlined in the applicable service rules of the establishment.

Regards,
R N Khola

sharpank
Thnaks Mr KHola
for giving your valuable opinion on this post. we hope other senior will also provide same kind of opinion time to time.
khushbu.awasthi
Dear seniors,

I have recently joined a company as an assistant manager in HR. It's only been 45 days, and now the management is terminating me because I approached my CEO directly regarding an issue related to the company. The Executive Director (ED) of the company instructed me to do so, and now, when I mentioned that it was based on the ED's advice, he is manipulating the situation. No one is providing me with a specific reason or explanation. They terminated my employment without any prior notice.

Please advise me on my rights and what actions I can take against the company or management.

Regards,
Khushbu
MANOKAVIN
Dear Khusbu,

Termination without notice is not possible. They must issue a show cause notice based on your appointment letter. If you have the appointment letter in your hand, go through it to check whether they have mentioned the notice period. If the notice period is specified, you can ask them or seek advice from a lawyer.

Regards,
Mano Kavin
joebirdy@gmail.com
Hi Ms. Singh,

I wanted to bring to your attention that a similar case has occurred involving myself and five others. We were terminated from our positions without any specific reason, with only one month's notice. Collectively, we have dedicated 15 to 25 years of service to this company.

I am inquiring if it is lawful for a company to dismiss an employee without providing a valid reason for the termination. Are there any regulations or laws that oversee this situation?

Additionally, it is important to note that our company is classified as a Sick unit.

Kind regards,
Ms. Singh
jituraj1518
If a company terminates an employee without providing a reason, they could simply state that the employee is being terminated and should not come to work tomorrow. Following this, the company should provide a termination letter. In such a scenario, what compensation would an employee receive if they had completed 20 years of service and were 52 years old at the time of termination?
KARTIK CHANDRA DUTTA
Dear Mr. Rakesh 0022,

In case of retrenchment of a workman or junior-level staff, the employer has to pay compensation, notice pay, etc. In case of supervisory and managerial staff, the employer has to fulfill the terms and conditions of employment as mentioned in the Appointment Letter. In general practice, it has been observed that the employer is terminating the employee by giving one month's notice pay to the employee.
Vasant Nair
Yes, an employer can terminate the services of an employee without giving notice or any reasons. The action of the employer, whether lawful or not, is another matter and can only be decided by a court of appropriate jurisdiction.

Best Wishes,
Vasant Nair
CaPulkit
Yes, if the agreement says so. An appointment letter normally outlines the termination conditions.

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I have corrected the spelling and grammar errors in the text and adjusted the formatting to ensure proper paragraph structure.
anish_desai1@yahoo.com
I am working as a RSM in the company. My directors disliked me opposing their wrong leave policy, so they sent me an email stating to do some sales tasks within 15 days and added, "Failing to do so on or before 20th September, we may ask you to leave." Now, on the 19th, they verbally told me that I am fired, and they didn't give me any notice. They are supposed to give a 15-day notice for my job retirement, but they are treating that email as a termination notice. Is this legally valid? How can I get the proper notice of 15 days and salary for that?

I hope this helps clarify the situation.
MANOKAVIN
Hi,

It is 100% illegal. Yes, the employee can go to the labor court against the employer.

Manokavi
MANOKAVIN
[QUOTE=rakesh0022;1195669]
If a person is working in a company and one day the company manager told him to take all his dues and not to come to work from tomorrow itself.

Is it legal or illegal? Can the employee file a case in court against the employer?

It is 100% illegal. An employee can file a case in the Labour court.
MANOKAVIN
kamal143
Mr. Khola,

Can you advise me in my case as well? I was working as an HR Senior Manager for a company in Manesar for the past 11.5 months. However, the managing director issued me a termination letter last Monday without any proper notice. It was given on plain paper and not even on the company's letterhead. All the reasons mentioned are baseless as they have solely cited behavioral issues. Additionally, he sent a company-wide email stating that the termination was due to behavioral issues affecting the office decorum.

There were no verbal or written warnings or notices given to me earlier regarding the points mentioned in the offer letter. What legal options do I have here? Can I file a case for unjustified termination and defamation since he sent a company-wide email?

Thank you.
shhhail
As you were an HR manager, you do not fall under the workman category as per the Industrial Dispute Act of 1947 and as per the Standing Orders Act. Therefore, management is not liable to follow the procedure of issuing a show-cause notice and conducting an inquiry. It depends on the conditions of employment as per your letter of appointment. If a notice period is mentioned in your appointment letter as X period, then management can terminate you by giving a notice of X period. In the event they terminate without providing any notice period, they must reimburse you in lieu of not allowing you to serve the notice period. Please review the terms and conditions of your employment.
Neelamma@citehr
During the probation period, can we terminate the employee without providing any notice but pay one month's salary to them?
Neelamma@citehr
During the probation period, can we terminate the employee without giving one month notice period but still pay one month's salary to the employee?
GhaleBS
As per PSU's appointment letter clauses, is the following termination legal?

1. Clause 1: GM-engineering is transferable to any department in a medicine-making company. If the above is okay, can he be transferred as GM-marketing (selling medicines to local chemists)?

2. Clause 2: PSU employees can be assigned to any designation or functional responsibility. If the above is okay, can the boss assign a medical representative functional responsibility in a city where the company does not have an office, thus allowing the employee to work from home? Daily reports sent by post are considered attendance, not emails sent from the employee's personal email ID, as the company does not provide company email IDs due to lack of infrastructure. In cases of unknown postal delays, marking as loss of pay results in a reduction in the pay package. The company obtained confirmation from HC regarding the legality of appointment clauses, which can be imposed at any time on any employee, potentially due to personal bias, even if the employee's records are clear and they have never faced charges in 8 years of service.

After being transferred to the marketing department, the employee worked as a manager for one year without any charge sheets or inquiries. Subsequently, the management compelled the employee to work as a Medical Representative, the lowest ranked position in the marketing department, without any inquiry or due process, for another year. Despite daily reports requesting support from GM-marketing and lower staff, as well as company infrastructure, the management provided no assistance. After enduring 2 years of mental and physical harassment, along with a salary reduction due to loss of pay for non-receipt of daily work reports by post (emails were later deemed legal documents), an officer visited in March 15 to scrutinize the work and attempted to find faults to charge the employee. Feeling threatened, the employee denied any wrongdoing and left the premises by officially stating the lack of GM-marketing position status and supporting infrastructure in an email.

Since March, despite reminders from the company, the employee did not report to work due to mental health issues, supported by a medical certificate from a government doctor. In January 16, the company invoked the appointment letter clause stating that if an employee is absent from duty without senior approval for 10 days, it is deemed as self-termination, resulting in loss of benefits. Consequently, the company settled the employee's dues as per their discretion: March 15 salary paid in January 16 and gratuity received on 30-12-15. Despite the appointment letter stipulating a 3-month notice period, the company paid for the notice period without conducting any inquiry, charge sheet, or suspension, solely relying on the appointment letter clause.

Now, the employee is exploring opportunities in the private job market, leveraging 25 years of engineering experience and 2 years in pharmaceutical medicine marketing. Unfortunately, the industry does not recognize the employee as an engineer or an experienced marketing GM, leading to a significant setback in the employee's career progression over the next 8 years. Seeking advice from seniors and potential support from other employee/trade staff unions who have hinted at supporting the employee.

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Please note that while I have corrected the spelling, grammar, and formatting of your text, I recommend seeking legal advice to address the employment issues you have described.
ommygautam
The user input contains a mix of special characters and numbers that do not form coherent English text. If you have any specific content or text that you would like me to review for spelling and grammar errors, please provide that information, and I would be happy to assist you.
A R RAJASEKARANE
Sir, I am working in a private (Marwadi) company with multiple branches since July 1996. I have been handling all departmental works and signing the day-to-day sales invoices. I represent the organization as a Manager. I have no attendance or wages register so far, and my salary is paid in cash only. We are on good terms. Very soon, the organization will transition into the hands of his sons. If any issues arise, will I be eligible for any gratuity benefits?
riteshmaity
If you can prove that you have worked for more than five years, then you will be entitled to gratuity. Since you have no documents but you are in good terms with the employer, in order to avoid any future complications that may arise, try to gather as much evidence as possible so that in a later stage you can prove your employment (date of appointment, salary, etc.).
dmc123
Dear Rakesh,

There are only 2 ways of employee separation from the company once he is permanent. One is, in case of any misconduct, proper enquiry is necessary. Misconduct must be proved and must warrant the extreme punishment of dismissal after considering the past record. Secondly, in case of surplusage, if the total number of workmen in the preceding calendar year is below 100, then no permission is required. However, if it exceeds 100, then government permission for retrenchment will have to be sought before the retrenchment. In case the strength is below 100, retrenchment compensation of 15 days' salary per completed year of service plus one month's notice pay is mandatory as per Section 25F of the Industrial Disputes Act. Otherwise, the retrenchment will be rendered ab initio void, and this will have to be paid PRIOR to retrenchment. There is no hire and fire rule in our country, at least not for workmen.
sandeepote
If the company has falsely accused me and immediately terminated my employment, can I file a case against them? Which law is applicable in Maharashtra? How can I seek compensation and relief? My designation is manager.
riteshmaity
Designation is immaterial. If you do not have any supervisory or administrative capacity, then only you will be covered under labor laws.

First, you have to raise the dispute before the company asking for the withdrawal of the termination letter and to reinstate you. Thereafter, you need to lodge a complaint before the Labor Commissioner and finally file a case in the Court of law.
sahej-menghani
In my current organization, management has fired one employee without giving any notice due to a lack of performance. Prior to this, she had received two oral warnings from them. Although the employee wanted to resign, management asked her to leave immediately after submitting the assets.

1. Can we send her the termination letter?
2. Is this going to backfire on us in any case?
3. Is it appropriate?
vmlakshminarayanan
Hi,

I have already replied to you in another thread. You can find my response at https://www.citehr.com/640522-termination.html.
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